Wrong
by Air-Head-Ry
Summary: All his life, Dave has made one mistake after the other. But now his mistakes are going to cost him, and the people he loves more then anything. When a social worker arrives to take him away, Dave runs, and finds something he never expected to find... AU
1. DAVE: Get Taken Away

I shall give you all fair warning here. This story is Sadstuck. I wrote it after my friend committed suicide, and my aunt, grandpa, and uncle were very sick and dying as a sort of mental release.

I JUST GOT MY INVITATION TO AO3! So I am finally going to upload this there, but a different version of this story. Due to FF's new rules, I tried to keep this at the upper-half of the Rated T, though if you disapprove of the rating, please let me know. The version I will be uploading to Ao3 will the mature version. The Mature Version will have added scenes not displayed in the Teen Version, and there will be less cutaways as I can actually fill in what happened there, without it getting taken down. There is also a HUGE possibility I will upload Wrong to Ao3 included with art, either art I have drawn, or Fan Art for that page - so if you have fan art, please send it to me, and I will incorporate it into the Mature Version, wherever it fits in the story! I'm going to take advantage of Ao3's better formatting options for the story, as well as fix the parts I wrote while suffering from Mono, a Concussion, drunk, or hungover.

Its up to you what version you want to read, or read them both! Comments and Reviews are ALWAYS Treasures, and I love getting them! They keep me focused :D

We can't post links on FF, but look me up on Archive of Our Own under the same username - Air_Head_Ry!

Other then that, please enjoy this story, it was very addicting to write, and fun to work on.

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><p>DAVE: Get taken away…<p>

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><p>Dave did not know what to think. Should he be angry? Sad? Maybe even a mix of both as the Social Worker started leading him over to her car. Dave looked around, there was not much more option for escape.<p>

Why was this even happening? Sure, Bro wasn't the best 'father' around, he made a few mistakes - took off for days at a time on road trips for his gig, accidentally locking him out of the apartment maybe once or twice, their usual strife's on the roof… but how was not abusive? It was Dave's fault that the Social Worker was here. It was Dave's fault that they judged Bro a bad 'father'. It wasn't that Bro was a bad 'father', it was that Dave was a terrible 'son'.

Bro was really young when he found Dave. Apparently, he had found him as a baby by the side of the road while he was travelling on one of his 'gigs'. After a few weeks of no one coming to claim him, Bro had taken Dave home to foster him till the real parents showed up. After a few years and no one claimed him, he signed the adoption papers, and legally made Dave a Strider. The government was never truly happy with that decision. They told Bro that he was too young and immature to raise a child - and had been watching him closely ever since. Dave knew they were watching them, judging Bro's every move - and yet he still acted out.

Dave had a short fuse, and a mean temper when he wanted. Ever since he was a child, he had gotten in fights on the playground, at school…around town…everywhere someone mouthed him off, or looked at him wrong. Dave was really young when Bro decided to try and vent some of that anger and frustration out. He could remember Bro leading him around, checking into all the different sports around their hometown in Texas. But even at such an age, Dave knew that Bro could never afford to enrol him in anything. Instead, Bro decided to help Dave himself. He bought Dave a fake sword, and the two would 'strife' on the roof.

It was Dave's fault for being labelled 'dangerous' and 'out of control'…not Bro's. He was the one that would sneak money out of Bro's wallet and go buy drugs, or weapons, or booze, or whatever he felt like. He was the one that would sneak out or wait till Bro left for a 'gig' and party till the police arrested him, it was his fault that he stabbed that guy, and it was his fault for getting involved with the group of people he was in. He'd never call them a 'gang', though that was a pretty close word for it. Which only made his upbringing look worse. Bro did not know about his 'group of friends'. Dave would never tell him. All he knew was the look of disappointment on Bro's face whenever Bro had to pick him up from either the Hospital, or the Police Station…

And yet Bro was getting blamed for it. It was not fair! The guilt settled down deep in Dave's stomach as they reached the car. He looked back and saw Bro standing in front of the apartment, his arms crossed, and his hat pulled far over his face. Dave wished he could see Bro's eyes, but Bro never took off his cheesy-anime style sunglasses - giving the older Strider a stoic expression.

"Come on Dave," The Social Worker said sweetly. Way to sweet… it nearly burnt Dave's ears. "We're going to find you a better home, somewhere you will be raised properly."

"I have a home." Dave mumbled.

"What was that?" The Social Worker asked without looking at him. She opened the car door, "I did not quite catch that dear, your mumbling."

Dave felt the rage boil inside him. She was mocking him. Her 'sugary sweet' tone was covering up the condescending underneath. In the back of Dave's mind, he knew getting mad right now would be a bad idea. It would not help his case at all - or Bro's. But that was all pushed back by the anger and hatred he suddenly felt towards the woman standing beside him, looking at him with one raised eyebrow, motioning him to get into the car, one hand clasped tightly around his wrist.

"I SAID FUCK OFF!" Dave shouted, stomping down as hard as he could on the woman's foot. She screamed and let go of his wrist. Dave did not waste a second. Without thinking, he ran. Somewhere in the back of his head, his mind screamed that this was all wrong. That this was bad… that this was only going to mess things up more… but he did not care. He was done with messing things up - done with fucking up everyone's lives…

He heard the woman scream after him, and he could hear Bro calling his name. He could hear the car starting behind him…

And he knew that if he did not get off the road, it was not going to be long until she caught him. He had outrun the Police being drunk or stoned out of his mind before - he was pretty sure he could outrun a Social Worker in an Oldsmobile.

There was nothing but skyscrapers around - typical of a large city. When Dave had gone to house parties, they were usually in the suburbs, and he'd escape through someone's backyard. Today however, an alleyway would make do. He quickly slide between two skyscrapers and booked it down the alley. There was a chain-link fence at the end…there was always a chain-link fence. Why didn't Dave know this by now? There was a few dumpsters nearby, but there was no way in hell he was going to hide. He jumped up onto one, as the Social Worker's car pulled up to the end of the alley, and used it as a ledge to jump over the fence, and booked it down the alley on the other side. He knew the Worker would waste no time in driving around to face him, so he booked it as fast as he could, jumping out into traffic on the other side. The screeching of tired and honking of horns was nothing new to him, and he felt the bumper of a car hit his leg, making him stumble, but at least this time he was not hit… he quickly looked behind him for the Social Worker, but did not see anything, before running as fast as he could into a mall across the street. At least he could hide in the crowd of people there…

He felt his phone go off in his pocket, the ring tone blasting a rap song. He quickly silenced it as he slipped into the mall and disappeared among the hundreds of people crowding the store. He did not care which department store he was going to hide in, as long as it was busy. He slipped into one of them, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.

Now that the adrenaline was settling down, he started to limp. Maybe that car hurt him more then he thought? Ignoring the limp, he walked into the clothing isle and straight to the back of the store. It was a busy H&M. Not one of his usual haunts, but it was busy enough to hide for awhile. He finally pulled his phone out of his pocket and found a text message from Bro…

TT: Get your ass back home now.

That was all it said.

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><p>BRO: Deal With Social Worker<p> 


	2. BRO: Deal With Social Worker

Idk… a quick chapter :P I'm going to split everyone's parts into chapters in this story, So sorry this chapter is so short, its just Bro's segment. Switching back to Dave's after this :D

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><p>= = BRO: Deal With Social Worker<p>

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><p>That lady would not stop chirping in his ear. She was starting to give him a headache.<p>

"I KNEW it was a bad idea to trust a child to someone like you! I just knew it!" She whined, "A balanced child would have come quietly. But no, he takes off. And what does his guardian do? He sits down at his kitchen table and does nothing. If I was his guardian, I would have chased after him!"

Bro tried to ignore her. He looked down at his cell phone and quickly typed a text. He fully knew by now that arguing with this woman would not do anything but make things worse. He was never really known for his patience…but when it came to keeping his family together, he was willing to put up with a few things.

He had put up with this woman for thirteen years now… he could put up with her for a couple more hours. He had had her in his business since the day he brought Dave home. She was there when he signed the adoption papers…lecturing him on what a silly name Dave was when he named the boy… and had been there every single time Dave got in trouble. He refused to let her change his mind on Dave's name though - and would never tell her that he named the new baby after his own deceased Bro.

Not that he was not to blame. Christ! He knew some of this was his fault… he had been young and stupid - barely seventeen years old when he found Dave. Dave had been in his care for awhile before Dirk took him down on his eighteenth birthday to adopt him. This woman though was never happy with that. And Dirk did not blame her. He had been on his own since his Bro died when he was fifteen. That was two years he was living alone in this apartment. He was never really good with people up close… most people found him to be a bit of a show-off, or too upfront and his form of 'ironic' usually put him on people's bad side. He had never really been in trouble with the police before. When he was not on the road, he kept to himself.

After his Bro died, he spent all his efforts trying to make money for himself. All he really knew was sword fighting, ventriloquism, mixing beats, and building robots. With the limited income he had, making a living out of robots was out of the question, and there was no real jobs in sword fighting anymore… so he took his favourite puppet, Lil Cal, and hit the road. It did not take long for him to become a huge hit at cafés all over, and soon he even got his own show. By the time he found Dave, he was already on Tour.

"I should have taken him away that time you left him as a baby at the super market, or that time you lost him at a gas station… or the time…"

He tried his hardest to drown her out. Heck! How could he forget those moments? They were the scariest moments of his life… when he got home and realized that he had lost Dave somewhere… it was a mini-heart attack every time.

"Or the time you forgot to pick him up from kindergarten, or the time he skipped school…" She was going on and on. Bro had the sudden urge to jump up and punch her in the face.

Yes. He could not deny he did those things. He was young, and he was foolish. But he tried his damnest to make up for it. Everything he did was for Dave. Whether she liked to believe it or not, he was not that immature child anymore who made foolish mistakes. By the time Dave was in the second grade, he had grown up a lot. Now Dave was thirteen, and he was acting out severely. He had tried everything to keep Dave's attitude in check. While he could not afford anything to vent energy, he spared with the boy instead. And Dave seemed to enjoy it, most of the time. For awhile, it kept Dave out of trouble… but one day while he was out of town at a show, he came back and saw how things spiralled down drastically.

Dave was now getting arrested. He started coming home smelling like Sopor. Bro did not have the money to pay for all of Dave's bails… the more Dave got himself arrested, Bro had to work just that much harder - travel that much further - just to pay for the lawyers and the bails and everything else. The last case was too much though.

When Bro got the call from the hospital, at first he did not believe what he was hearing. Dave was in the hospital and had been stabbed. It was like seeing his older brother die all over again. Bro swore his heart stopped beating there, and he dropped everything and rushed over to the hospital… only to find out that Dave had gotten in a fight with someone, and they had both pulled knives on each other. The Police Officer waiting for him at the Hospital had said that Dave was going to be charged with assult with a deadly weapon…thankfully though, the charges fell through, and the Judge declared that Dave stabbed the guy in self-defence. But this whole thing is what set the Social Worker off. She came down hard on Bro, asking why the hell was Dave in that situation to begin with? How the hell was he supposed to know? Dave was fucking thirteen. He was supposed to be at school.

She fought back against the judge using this claim. Bro had no idea where Dave was when Dave stabbed the guy, apparently a 'good guardian' would know when their 'charge' was skipping school. Bro was never good at keeping his temper in check. He had snapped back against the Social Worker's accusations, but his anger only made things look worse… and now the Judge declared that Dave would be put in a foster home.

That was all yesterday. Today was the day the Social Worker came to pick up Dave… and now Dave had run off. Things were not looking good. Dave was still bruised from the fight, and his stitches hadn't healed.

"…are you even listening to me Mr. Strider?" The Social Worker snapped, looking exasperated,

"Shut up." Bro felt his anger rising.

"EXCUSE ME?" She snapped, throwing her arms in the air.

"I said shut up." Bro fought to keep his voice level, "Instead of yelling at me and being utterly useless, go out there and find where the little shit-head went?"

The Social Worker's jaw dropped, "And I hope you know that statement is going on the record!"

Bro had never wanted to beat someone senseless so badly in his life - even if she was a woman.

She glared at him, "And what about you?"

"It won't matter. Dave will come home on his own." Bro replied,

"What?" Her eyes narrowed, "And you call yourself his father? Get off your lazy ass now and go find him!"

Bro stood up, he walked over to the door and opened it, "You've done your job. You have no more business in my house. Get out." She looked like she wanted to argue, but Bro just pointed out the door, "Get out of my house before I have you escorted out." If looks could kill, Bro was sure he'd be dust by now. She slowly strode out of his apartment and stood on the other side of the door, she opened her mouth to speak, but Bro cut her off, "I will call you to pick him up when he comes home." And with that, he slammed the door in her face.

He stood there for a few minutes, until he was certain that the Social Worker was gone, before turning away and walking over to the window. He watched her leave the apartment complex, and enter her car. He closed the blinds as she drove away, before collapsing on the couch. He dropped his head in his hands with a deep sigh. Absentmindedly, he pulled out his cell phone and checked it again - there was no response. Of course there wasn't. This was the usual thing with Dave. The brat would not come home until later… he liked to make Bro worry before he showed his face.

Pushing himself up, Bro left the couch and headed down the hall for Dave's room. He stood in front of the door hesitantly. There were a few posters tacked to the door. With a sigh, Bro pushed the door open.

The room was a mess. Dave had packed as much he could into Bro's old suitcases - which were still sitting in the Social Worker's car - and the rest Bro had promised the kid he'd deliver once Dave was settled in with a new family.

Dave's turntables were still supported on cinderblocks. They were too big to pack. Dave's computer and bed, and several other belongings were thrown about. Bro cursed under his breath and started to tidy up the clothes thrown around, but did not get far before exhaustion took over, and he dumped the clothes in a pile at the foot of Dave's bed, and returned to the living room.

Where the hell was that boy?

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><p>= = DAVE: Head to Club House<p> 


	3. DAVE: Head To ClubHouse

Sorry, I was feeling really ill today, so this chapter may be crap… but hey, I tried! Hope it's ok! The writing may be crap… I'll rewrite it when I'm not feeling like passing out on my keyboard.

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><p>== DAVE: Head to Club House<p>

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><p><em>The Mall Will Be Closing in 10 Minutes. The Mall Will Be Closing In 10 Minutes! Please make your way to the checkouts now, which will remain open for the next 10 minutes.<em>

Alright, alright. Think people get the hint? Dave cursed his luck. He had been hiding in the mall all day long. He was hungry, and tired, and limping. His injuries from that cursed fight that started this whole mess was starting to bother him more and more.

Dave leaned against the wall in the Men's Washroom, and lit up a smoke. He knew he was not supposed to smoke in the building - or at all - but at this moment, he did not care. He needed something to calm his nerves… he took one puff, but almost immediately after, Bro's face flashed across his vision. He cursed and instantly put the smoke out, throwing it into the garbage. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. He still had that cursed black eye.

What was he doing?

He really did not know anymore. All he seemed to do was screw himself - or Bro - up. No. He was done. No more. Maybe if he proved he could be a good citizen, the Social Worker will fuck off?

Doubtful. But worth a try.

Yeah right. He did try. Last time Bro picked him up from the Drunk Tank, and the Social Worker called the next day, threatening to have him removed from the home, Dave had promised that then. He promised to clean up his act… but it was so hard. His 'friends' - if he could call them that - were no help. If he did not go out and drink and party, then he was not a 'cool-kid' anymore. But damn! He was doing so well! It wasn't until he decided to walk home after seeing a movie with Terezi and Karkat that things got fucked up. He should have known Karkat would have tried to fuck things up. For years it had been a power-struggled between the two of them. Dave was pretty sure he did not even like Terezi that way, but he knew that Karkat did, so Dave constantly made passes at her, and then he had asked her to 'come to a movie sometime?' They both knew it was 'just as friends', but Karkat did not, and he tagged along to 'make sure nothing happened'.

Karkat was always 'the leader'. The was 'the Boss Man' of their Gang. Nobody elected him, nobody chose him. It's just been that way since the beginning. The damn bastard threw the biggest 'hissy-fit' about being the leader, that they just let him. But that does not mean Dave did not fight him every step of the way.

He felt his side gingerly. Damn Karkat. He should have known that bastard would have tried something… pulling a knife on him though - that was something Dave had never expected. As soon as the police found out it was 'a fight over a girl' they basically dropped all charges. Dave had not been back to the Club House since.

_The Mall will be closing in 5 minutes! The mall will be closing in 5 miutes! Please…_

Dave popped in his earphones to drown out the noise. He had no where better to go - home was out of the question. He might as well piss Karkat off while he was out… so he might as well go to the Club House. He turned and headed out of the bathroom, looking cautiously around before leaving. Knowing his luck, that damn Social Worker was still looking for him. Luckily though, he managed to slip from the mall, and through the parking lot unnoticed. Crap was his heart beating! Suddenly he wish he did not throw out that smoke…

He quickly glanced behind him, before breaking into a run, dashing off towards the bus stop. A bus had just arrived - he did not care what bus it was, as long as it took him away. All the busses eventually had to go downtown anyway to the Bus Exchange. He'd just ride the entire circuit around until it led him downtown.

It took forever, and Dave had to duck behind the window a few times as 'suspicious' looking cars drove by, but luckily they finally made it down town, he hoped on another bus, and headed out to the Hiking Trails. They were now miles away from the Strider's apartment, and Dave was starting to feel safer, calmer. He cranked the volume on his ipod, and strode off down the path leading from the Bus Exchange, to the Trails.

It was after five, and the Hiking Trails were dead. Most people were home eating dinner with their families. The thought of food made Dave's stomach growl. Wonder what Bro was going to eat? Probably pizza again.

He reached a split in the path. One lead up to the advanced trailed, one went straight, and one went down. He chose the down path, but did not stick to it long. At the 'broken tree', he slipped off and headed into the trees, where a ricket-old fort greeted him. It was crap - thrown together by a bunch of 10-year-olds who had no idea what they were doing. But it was a hangout - their hang out. The boards holding it together were rickety, and the place around the 'tree-house/fort' looked more like a junk-yard then anything. Piles of garbage was thrown around, along with whatever crap they brought there. There was an old couch they had dragged down, and left at the foot of the tree - though someone had sliced one of the cushions open, and an arm was missing, it was still more comfy then the ground. An old ladder led into the tree-house.

"DAVE!" A screech invaded his ears, even louder then his ipod. Dave sighed and took out his ipod. Even through his shades, and the darkness of the setting sun through the trees, he could see a girl running up to him. Her eyes were covered by red shades, her hair was died a soft teal colour - though Dave knew her real hair colour was red as well. She just got sick of the 'ginger-jokes'. She ran up and threw her arms over his shoulders, screeching happily. "I thought you'd NEEEEEVER come back! I told everyone you WOULD! I KNEW I was RIGHT!"

"Get off, Terezi." Dave snapped, pushing her arms away, "Anyone else here?"

"Yeah." She cackled, "Come on in! I'm SURE Karkat will be GLAD to SEE you!"

Her shrilly voice was already giving Dave a headache, but for the sake of appearces - and to piss Karkat off - he ignored his annoyance, and walked with her to the club house.

She pushed him aside with a laugh, "Ladies first, Mr. Cool-Kid!"

Dave looked down at her red and teal skirt and smiled. Who was he to argue?

The girl cackled again, and climbed up the ladder, Dave climbing right behind her, not even hiding the fact he was looking up.

"KARKAT!" She shrieked, "DAVE'S BACK!"

Dave climbed up after her, just as he heard Karkat swear. Dave wanted to swear himself. The room was just how he left it. An old cot was pushed up against the back wall, Sollux and Feferi were sitting on it, completely engrossed in whatever video game that Sollux was playing. Sollux's black hair hung in his face, and Feferi had her long hair pushed back, long pink extensions fluttering down through it. He ignored them and continued forward. He was briefly aware of Vriska sitting at the old rickety table against the other wall. She was grinning darkly at Dave, twisting a few dice in her hand. Vriska's long black hair was hanging loose down her back, and she had blue streaks painted through it. Her blue eyes narrowed as she watched Dave. She had more metal sticking out of her face then needed, a piercing in nearly every place possible. She was a few years older then them, so she could legally go and get peircings, but Dave knew she had piercing even before she turned fifteen. She had a large spider tattoo across her chest, showing through her revealing, low-cut top. She wore a sleeveless shirt, under a blue blazer, and a short leather skirt. The only words that came to Dave's mind to explain her was 'slut'. He hated Vriska, and he was sure she did not like him either.

"Daaaaaaaave," She sneered, "I heard Karkat shanked ya gooooooood!"

Dave ignored her. Karkat barely scratched him in the fight. His eyes were pinned straight ahead, at that fucking douche bag sitting in the high-backed chair at the end of the 'Club House'. Karkat. Damn did Dave hate him. The smug, short asshole was sitting on the chair, leaning on one arm with a smug look. He had a patch-bandage on his cheek from where Dave got him with his knife the last time the saw each other. He wore a black shirt, a picture of a skull on the front, and leather pants, his arms adorned with spiked accessories.

"Well, fuck." Karkat smirked, "I didn't think you'd show your face around here again, fuckass."

"And let you guys have all the fun?" Dave kept the poker-face. He would not let Karkat have the pleasure of seeing how pissed off Dave was.

"Why didn't you show up sooner, fuck-face?" Karkat snapped,"Couldn't." Dave replied with a nonchalant shrug, "Damn feds on my back."

Vriska laughed behind him, "Karkat told us the hoooooooole story!" She got up, walking over to lean on the chair next to Karkat, "Is it true that the feds are taking you away from your beloved Daddy?"

"Bro ain't my Dad. He's my bro." Dave shrugged. Damn did she piss him off!

Karkat grinned, "We thought you were gone for good. So how come you still around?"

"I gave em the slip." Dave explained, "Wouldn't want them to take me away without saying good-bye to all my best bro's."

Karkat laughed darkly, "Yes. Of course we wouldn't."

Dave felt his hands ball into fists. Why did he come here? He did not like a single person here. No one here was his friend - he did not need friends.

"You came just in time, Fuck Ass." Karkat interrupted his thoughts,

"Oh?" Dave asked,

"We were talking about taking things up a notch." Dave could tell Karkat was studying his face as he spoke, looking for cracks in Dave's armour. "I was talking to Jack Noir and his friends…"

Jack Noir. Dave instantly stopped listening when he heard that name, "Sorry bro, not interested.""What the fuck, Strider!" Karkat snapped, "You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"If it has to do with Jack Noir, then it can't be anything good." Dave snapped, "Didn't I tell you the feds are watching me?"

"So?" Karkat shrugged, "Jack is our ally."

"Fuck no." Dave snapped.

Karkat growled, "Your really starting to piss me off, Strider."

"Good." Dave retorted.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Terezi gasped, walking up between them, "Everybody chill! Dave, don't you want to even listen to what Karkat has to say?"

"He is our bold and fearless leader." Vriska said sarcastically.

Dave grumbled, but no one heard what he said.

Karkat cleared his throat, "Jack wants to cut us in on a deal! In exchange for a 'small duty', he's going to give us all a whole month's supply of Sopor free of charge!"

"Its not free if we have to work for it." Dave corrected, "What's this deal?"

"Dunno." Karkat shrugged, "Jack hasn't told me yet."

"Well, it doesn't matter." Dave snapped, "I'm out."

"Is Mr. Cool turning into Mr. Chicken?" Vriska sang,

"No. I just don't want anything more to do with it." Dave said truthfully,

"Look's like Mr. Cool isn't cool anymore." Vriska sneered,

"Shut up." Dave snapped.

"Yeah. Never knew you'd turn into a pussy the moment you got in a little trouble." Karkat challenged.

Dave did not know what to do. He was walking a thin line here. If his 'friends' turned their backs on him, he'd have nothing.

"So you can't go home?" Terezi asked,

"Not tonight at least." Dave shrugged.

She raised her eyebrow, "Well, we're having a party at my house tonight. My parents are out of town. Wanna come? You can crash there for the night?"

Dave was tempted to refuse. But he did need a place to stay for the night, and as long as he stayed away from Sopor, he should be ok. And a bit of booze would be ok…

Dave sighed, "Ok. Fine."

Karkat smirked, "This shall be fun."

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><p>== DAVE: Go to party<p>

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><p>Hope that was ok? At the end of the chapter, I can barely see my keyboard… I'm going to pass out now… damn sickness.<p> 


	4. DAVE: Go to party

Short lil' chapter, but I'll upload two back to back to make up for it.

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><p>== DAVE: Go To Party<p>

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><p>Why the fuck did Dave go to the party?<p>

The music was loud, the people were just as loud - and there was WAY to much temptation. He in a chair in a back room. The only people in this room were couples making out in dark corners, spilling their sopor or their booze all over each other.

Dave saw the sopor, and instantly craved it. He bit down on his tongue and turned away, chugging back the beer. As long as he keeps himself under control, it will be fine. He knew it would quiet down eventually, and then he could get some sleep.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket - the pounding of the music drowning out the ring tone. Desperate for ANY distraction, he pulled the cell out and looked at the screen.

TT: (6:46): Kid, fuck. Answer your phone.

TT: (8:02): We need to talk lil Bro.

TT: (9:33): Just let me know your not getting into anything bad, and I'll leave you the fuck alone.

TT: (11:17): I'm going to head down to that diner you used to like - the 24h one. If you want something, meet me there. I'll make sure I'm not followed.

TT: (11:32): Hey lil' man. I ordered you your favourite. Get your scrawny ass over here before you starve.

TT: (11:41): If your doing drugs again, I will personally hunt you down. Your dinner's cold. You can eat it out of a doggy bag later.

Dave felt his anger boil. Who did Bro think he was? Still a little kid? He growled and chugged the rest of his beer, getting up to grab another one, the rhythm beating through his soul. This could be the last night he could have some fun! As long as he stayed away from Sopor, he should be fine.

"DAVE!" Terezi squealed, "I've been looking ALL over for you!" Her voice was slurred, and she smelled like a mixture between alcohol and sopor, "Guess what Dave? Guess what we just made?"

"Do tell." He replied sarcastically, "A pie!" She cheered.

How the hell she made a pie this intoxicated, he could not comprehend.

"Will you try a piece?" She asked,

"I'm good." Dave made a disgusted face. Who knew what she threw in there in her stupor.

She pouted, "Its store bought Dave. I promise. We just threw them in the oven."

Dave frowned, "Really?"

She nodded vigorously, "Would I lie to you? It took a lot of effort to throw those pies in the oven! Poor Fef got burnt!"

"Show me the boxes." Dave replied.

Terezi whined and grabbed Dave's hand, leading him back to the kitchen.

The most wonderful smell of baked pies filled his nostrils, and he felt his stomach growl. He just remembered how hungry he was. He had not had anything to eat all day. Fuck was he hungry!

Terezi reached into the garbage and pulled out four pie boxes, "See? Safeway. Safe - Way. Its safe. Get it?"

"Funny." Dave said, distracted by the scent. He looked for the pies, "Where are they?"

"Still in the oven! It'll take a few more minutes!" Terezi sang, "Don't worry, Fef has been watching them diligently!"

Dave looked around. Feferi was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged, the hunger more then he could stand. He turned around and walked back out to the living room, where the coolers of beer were waiting.

Who the fuck was going to mess with a pie in the oven anyway? He might as well enjoy another beer while the buzz was still alive. He cracked open the beer with a satisfied smirk. Bro will save his meal for him, and tomorrow he'll go home, apologize to his Bro, and everything will go back to normal! He chugged back the beer.

* * *

><p>== KARKAT: Be the fuck who was going to mess with a pie in the oven.<p>

* * *

><p>Like I said, small chapter, but I'll upload the next chapter fast for ya!<p> 


	5. KARKAT: Be the fuck who was going to

Just so you know, Karkat is one of my favorite characters, I don't hate him. Ok? Please don't hate me :( Like I stated before, I am splitting chapters up depending on POV in this fic, so sorry if some chapters are really short.

* * *

><p>== KARKAT: Be the fuck who was going to mess with a pie in the oven.<p>

* * *

><p>Karkat stood outside, leaning against the wall. The back door of the Pyrope House was open, propped open by an old flower pot. A few people stood outside with Karkat, most of them smoking or too drunk to even know where they were. He just leaned quietly against the wall - the smell of the baking pies on the inside nearly too much to bear.<p>

Which fucknut's idea was it to bake pies at a house party? Whatever. It was a good opportunity to get Dave back for that movie incident.

Gamzee was lounging on a lounge chair beside him, eating sopor out of a jar like he was Winnie the Fucking Pooh and his honey.

"Save some for the plan, you stupid fuck." Karkat snapped.

"Awe, come on bro, I'm just having a little motherfucking taste." Gamzee slurred. He was stoned out of his mind - like usual.

"Give me that!" Karkat snapped, grabbing the jar away,

"Awe man, now why you have to go and do that, motherfucker?" Gamzee pouted,

"Shut the fuck up." Karkat retorted.

He turned and briefly looked inside, that fuckass Dave was talking to HIS Terezi again. She was all over him, gushing at him behind her shades - he just knew it!

He quickly ducked back behind the corner as Dave looked his way. What a fucking asshole. He waited a few seconds, and peaked in again, Dave and Terezi had left and the kitchen was abandoned. He took a deep breath, he did not have much time to do this. He slipped into the kitchen with a smile. This was going to be hilarious! The pies would be given out to all the guests, and no one was going to expect anything! He quickly grabbed the oven mitts, and pulled the pie from the oven. There was four pies all baking away inside. He ripped the tops off all four pies, and dished out the entire jar of sopor into them, before closing the lids and sliding them back into the oven.

This was going to be hilarious! And it would serve Dave right for mocking him earlier! Dave did not want to have fun anymore? He wanted to be a party-pooper…well he was going to get a reminder how much fun sopor was, whether he liked it or not.

He chuckled to himself as he put the pies back in the oven, where he found them. When he heard some voices returning, he gasped and turned around, grabbing the empty jar and dashing out the back door.

It was time this party went into overdrive.

* * *

><p>DAVE: Eat the pie<p>

* * *

><p>Ridiculously short chapter... I was tempted to merge these two together, but we. I hope you enjoy!


	6. DAVE: Eat the pie

== DAVE: Eat the pie

* * *

><p>Dave was feeling 'the buzz'. He felt slightly ashamed of it, because he had only had two beers. He blamed the fact he had not had anything to eat since yesterday - since he was anything but a light-weight. He continued drinking his third, while turning around and following Terezi around.<p>

Damn her voice gave him a headache. She was laughing and screeching with Feferi about 'how good the pies are going to be', and that just made Dave even more hungry. He sipped at his drink…better slow down until he had some food in his stomach.

"Daaaaaaaave!"

Ah fuck. That was a voice he did not want to hear. He felt someone loosely drape their arm over his shoulders, and slump against him. He looked over and saw Vriska. The girl's face was flushed, and she was spilling a drink all over the place. She smelt like a mixture of alcohol and sopor.

"Fuck, what do you want?" Dave snapped,

"Whaaaaaaaat?" She slurred, stumbling against him, "I just came over to see if you were having a great time."

"Bull. What do you want, Vriska?" Dave retorted.

A sly grin stretched over her face, "Wouldn't you like to know, Strider?" She pushed herself off him and stumbled off into the crowd.

Ok. That was suspicious. Better keep an eye out for her later on. He looked around. Terezi and Feferi had already entered the kitchen. He took another long chug from the can. Fuck taking his time. Having Vriska touch him was like… I don't know? Having a spider crawl up your arm. Yuck.

He pushed his way through the crowd, pushing his way into the kitchen. Feferi was frowning about something, but Terezi was just laughing as she cut the pies. Karkat was leaning against the fridge. Dave made a mental note not to let him get the first piece.

"Want a piece Karkat?" She asked, looking over at him.

"Sure." He said, indifferently, "I'm always up for a stomach ache by eating whatever slop you make."

Terezi pretended to ignore him and pull a piece of Pie out and onto a plate.

"I'll take that." Dave said, reaching out for it.

"Sure!" Terezi cheered, handing him the plate.

Dave took a quick glance at Karkat. He thought for a moment he caught a smirk on the other's face, but it disappeared shortly after Dave looked at him. Was it just his imagination? Now he was just being paranoid. Must be the three beers he already had - on an empty stomach at that.

He pushed all thought aside as his stomach growled, and dug into the pie. At first bite, he swore he tasted something… off, about it. But he was too hungry to care. He ate the entire piece as fast as he could.

"Whoa." Karkat sneered, "Take it easy. You'll give yourself a stomach ache.""Shut the fuck up Karkat." Dave snapped between bites.

Whoa… damn he must have ate that too fast. He felt the sugar (it was sugar right?) rush to his head. He stumbled backwards into the counter.

"You ok, Dave?" Feferi asked,

"Give me another piece of pie." He asked.

"Sure!" Terezi cheered, cutting him another piece, "Enjoy~"

Dave started into it, barely tasting it as he shovelled it down. When he finished eating it, he suddenly felt… happy. Really happy. He wanted to go dance! To Party. He looked over and saw Karkat still eating the first piece, laughing loudly to himself.

Fuck that guy! What was he laughing about? The room was spinning, and for some reason, he felt that he had to move to. The room almost felt like it was melting around him, and he felt if he stopped moving, he'd melt with it.

He knew this feeling… it was the feeling that got him in so much trouble, way too often. He was high. But right now, his mind did not care. All he wanted to do was party.

He grabbed another piece as Terezi announced to everyone that the pies were ready. He stumbled out of the kitchen, basically shoving the whole piece in his mouth. He was not paying attention to where he was going, and walked straight into something.

He looked up and saw Vriska. She was grinning from ear to ear, showing her fake 'fangs' she wore attached to her regular canine teeth.

"Hey Dave!" She smirked.

Dave just stumbled back. He barely heard her, "W-what cha want Vris-ka?"

He felt someone come up behind him and grab his arms. Shit! He tried to whirl around, but they held him fast. He looked up and saw Equius standing over him.

"DUNK TIME!" She cheered. Dave heard the entire crowd cheer as well, and Equius lifted him off his feet and dragged his drunk and stoned ass to the living room, where he was thrown unceremoniously onto the floor. Equius pinned his arms down, while Vriska jumped on his legs, straddling them with a vicious smile.

"Let me up!" He did not know what she meant by 'dunk time', but she was probably so wasted she did not even know what it meant.

He saw Karkat come up with an ominous expression, holding a funnel attached to a long hose. Ah fuck. Dave now knew what was going to happen, and he was too out of it to fight back. His limbs felt like jelly, and the room was spinning. Karkat laughed and shoved the funnel down Dave's throat, causing him to gag slightly. The other boy was laughing his ass off.

Damn did Dave want to attack him.

Gamzee came up with a large jar of Sopor. Dave could see the green liquid slosh in the jar…

Sirens whirled somewhere in the distance. Hopefully no one called a noise complaint…

Then Gamzee stood behind Karkat, holding the jar up. Dave took a deep breath, before Gamzee dumped the Jar into the funnel. Everyone in the crowd that had formed started chanting 'CHUG CHUG CHUG!'

And Dave blacked out.

* * *

><p>== BRO: Get drunk texts.<p> 


	7. BRO: Get Drunk Texts

I will include this header in both of my stories.

A few days ago, there was an accident, due to the illness I have, I was in the shower, and got dizzy, and fell backwards - cracking my skull on the shower faucet, and then injuring the cerebellum in my brain. Because of that, I had no motor refluxes at all, and limited eye-sight. I could not see, and I did not have the motor skills at the time to type properly. I am getting those motor skills back, but most of my typing here comes from spell-check and me typing really slow and deliberate.

I am off work again, and bored, so now that I am home from the hospital, I am going to try and write here from my bed.

Thank you to everyone who sent me 'get well soon' messages, they mean a lot to me! Thank you all so much!

As for the writing quality, I will read through it afterwards, but there is no garentee everything will be written perfectly or worded right. I will try my best though! Luckily, I thought through this entire story up to near the end awhile ago, so I already know how this chapter will go!

* * *

><p>== BRO: Get drunk texts.<p>

* * *

><p>It was nearing three am, and he had not heard a word from that bastard son of his for hours. Bro sat at the table flipping through his various websites. Nothing had updated. He sighed and played some music, but it was not enough to distract him.<p>

He leaned back in the chair, staring blankly at the monitor. What was he doing? When did he sink so low? The weight of the day was weighing down on him, and he felt as if he could not get up if he tried. He rolled his head back and looked at the ceiling.

Thirteen years ago, Bro was on one of his tours, when he found a baby left in a carrier at the side of the road. He took that baby in, and his life was never the same. He was no longer working for one person. Work suddenly meant something to him. The moment he held that baby in his arms, he felt like he was a totally different person. He felt an incredible urge to keep this baby safe and happy - and he was failing miserably at it.

The thought of Dave as a little baby made Bro crack a rare smile - something he rarely ever did, especially around Dave. He was such a tiny squirt back then…

Bro sighed and opened up the Pictures folder on his computer, scrolling over all the photos he had stored there. There was one folder inside of the Pics Folder that had all the family photos. Of course, he had this set up in an origination style that only he could decipher - it would be very embarrassing if Dave ever saw the memorabilia saved on his hard drive.

He flipped through the pictures, starting way back at the very beginning. He looked so young in these pictures - so much more full of life. He stopped on his favourite one, a picture of him holding baby Dave in one arm, and Lil Cal in the other. Lil Cal's arm was draped over his shoulder, and Dave was reaching up for the hand. The next picture was one that made him sigh. It was three-year old Dave, sitting in the Doctor's Office with a giant frown on his face and tears staining his cheeks. Bro had not fully taught him about masking his emotions yet…

That was the day Dave was diagnosed with Fedal Alcohol Syndrome. It was both a huge relief, and a huge blow. A relief because he now had a name to what Dave was going through, and what kind of help he would need to get Dave… the blow is that Dave was stuck with this, and that he could not afford many of the things Dave would need… that was when the Social Workers started to really get on his case.

He nearly lost Dave after that, but through hard work and determination, he managed to keep the kid in his care. Whether or not he would ever admit it, he had grown really attached to him.

He flipped through a few more pictures, until his phone vibrated in his pocket. Without a second thought, he fished it out and looked at the message.

NEW MESSAGE:

TG: Beo

TG: Bro*

TT: So you finally decide to grace me with an answer?

TG: Waht? Fuck no!

TG: I mean what htge fukc ecer.

TT: Your not drunk again are you?

TG: Nah bro.

TT: Stoned?

TG: Wut? Mw? Neber

TT: Where are you?

Bro waited a few minutes, and there was still no answer. He growled and punched the keys hard as he typed again.

TT: Where the fuck are you?

Still no answer.

Fuck. Just fucking great. Dave was out there drunk, or stoned - or both. What the fuck was he thinking? Yeah, sure after today, all he wanted was a drink too. But it was this behaviour that got Dave in this predicament.

Bro sat there for a few moments, tapping his foot restlessly on the ground - clenching the phone tightly in his hands.

Still nothing.

Fuck it! He stood up and stormed towards the door. He was going out to find the little fucker and drag his skinny pale ass home before the cops get him, and he loses the kid forever. He threw on his shoes, and stormed out of the apartment, locking the door behind him. Even if Dave came home while he was out, the brat could not get in the front fucking door without a key. Damn that kid really knew how to piss him off…

Piss him off? Or worry the crap out of him? He did not know anymore.

Before long, he found himself wandering the streets, checking out all of Dave's old 'hotspots'. But there was no sight. It was now quarter to three in the morning, and Bro was getting agitated. There was still no response. His next stop would be to check out all the house parties in town happening that night.

Before he had the chance to look into a single one though, he felt his phone vibrate. Bro snatched it up, it was a phone call, not a text.

"Dave?" Bro said the second he pressed answer.

"Bwo?" Dave's voice was heavily slurred, "Dude man, shit is fucked up in all the wrong places."

"I can hear that." Bro snapped, holding the phone slightly away from his head. There was a loud pounding of music behind Dave, and bro could barely hear him. "Where the fuck are you?"

"I have no fucking idea man. No fucking idea!" Dave burst into laughter, "They're coming for me man! They're wailing outside! Fuck man. I'm busted!"

"Calm down Dave." Bro said as slow as possible. He could not hear any sirens beneath the loud boom of music. He tried to sound as calm as he could, though he could feel his heart beat quickening, "I'm coming to get you. Where are you?"

"TZ's…I think?" Dave responded.

"TZ? That's Terezi's right?" Bro can remember dropping her off at home once, it was a large house nestled at the far side of town, right at the boarders of a large forest grove.

"Shit dude. They're coming to get me. I just know it! Fuck man, what do I do?" Dave sounded like a slurring mess on the other side of the phone.

Bro sighed, "I'm on my way. Stay there."

"Your coming right?" Dave whined,

"Yeah." Bro confirmed,

"Heh…coming."

"Grow up. And stay put."

* * *

><p>== KARKAT: Answer phone<p>

* * *

><p>So how was that? I hope it was ok? My concussion is getting better now :D I'm hoping it was ok? I can't explain why this chapter took me so long to write D: It took forever! I'm going to write the next chapter of this instead of broken wings, because I had something big planned for the next chapter of broken wings, but I know I can't do it justice in this injured state. Sorry for any inconvenience D:<p> 


	8. KARKAT: Answer Phone

== Karkat: Answer Phone

* * *

><p>Oh? Karkat just realized his phone was ringing. Over the excitement of the party, he had barely paid any attention to the infernal device. He had been up on the table, belting out slurred lyrics to a song he could barely remember. Dave had stopped being Douche-Dave, and went back to being Fun-Dave after the pie trick.<p>

The whole funnel-thing probably helped too. Dave was laughing and carrying on next to him on the table. The moment Karkat's phone started to ring, he jumped down and answered it, Dave climbed down as well, stumbling slightly over his feet as he reached for another beer, and pulled out his own cell phone. Karkat had no idea who would be calling him at this hour, but he answered it anyway.

"What the fuck do you want?" He snapped,

"Hello Karkat."

Karkat's face lit up as he recognized the voice, "Jack! Great timing! We're at this awesome party, and we've started running low on Sopor!"

"I figured as much." Jack's voice sounded velvety, "You know, I just happen to be heading your direction, if you need some more."

"Really?" Karkat cheered, then his face suddenly dropped, "But I don't think I can afford enough for the entire party."

"Well, this can be the trade-off for the favour I need your little gang to do for me." Jack answered,

Karkat grinned again, "Fucking sweet dude! When can you be here?"

"Soon."

And then the line went dead.

Karkat grinned and looked over at Dave. Dave's head was in his hands, and he was shaking. Vriska was leaning against him, and Terezi was leaning on the couch on the other side, stroking his hair, she was saying something in a low tone, and Karkat could not tell if the shaking was because he was crying, or laughing, or both.

"What's with him?" Karkat asked,

"Fuck!" Dave cursed,

"Dave is having a break down." Vriska laughed,

"Fuck you!" Dave yelled. And Karkat finally saw he was definitely crying. Drunk, stoned, incoherent crying.

"Why the fuck?" Karkat asked, swaying slightly as he stood in front of them.

"I told him he's fucking up again!" Vriska sang, "That they're going to take him away, and there is nothing he can do about it!"

"Shut up!" Dave slurred, "I don't want to go." He pushed is shades up onto his head and hid his face in his hands, "I don't want to go! I want to go home… I want to stay with Bro and everyone else!"

Ok. Maybe the hose idea was a bad idea? Dave definitely had lost it. Karkat could barely make out what the blonde teen was saying.

"Calm the fuck down." Karkat spat, "No one is coming to take you away, in fact, Jack's coming with more sopor. So sit back, enjoy your fucking beer, and when he gets here, take some more sopor."

Dave looked up at him, his eyes nearly as red as his irises, "W-what?"

"Jack's coming. Bringing his stash with him." Karkat promised.

"No!" Dave screamed, jumping to his feet, he swayed slightly, "Fuck that shit! No, no, no, no!"

"What has you so worked up?" Vriska laughed,

"I don't want to be near Jack!" He swayed and nearly fell backwards, "No! I promised myself I wouldn't do this anymore! Why?" He looked at Karkat venomously, "This is your fault!"

When did he go from being a happy-drunk to a depressive drunk? Karkat growled, "My fault?"

"Yes!" Dave snapped, "You made me drink that sopor!"

"I also spiked the pies. Your point?" Karkat snapped.

Dave's eyes widened, he almost looked like Karkat had slapped him in the face, "You…what?"

"I spiked those goddamn pies." Karkat repeated, "Want me to spell it out for you? You were being a douche, and I thought you needed to remember how much fun 'fun' can be!"

Dave's hands balled into shaking fists. His eyes glazed over, and before Karkat could register what was happening, the fist that did not have the cell still locked within it was flying at him. Karkat tried to step back, but felt Dave's fist collide with his cheek with enough force to knock him over. He gasped as he fell backwards, tripping over something and landed flat on his ass, staring up at Dave with shock.

"I DIDN'T WANT THIS!" He shouted, "I wanted to sober up! I wanted to prove that I could stay home!"

For once, Karkat did not know what to say. He remained silent.

"I fucking hate my Bro! He is constantly forcing me up to the roof to fight. I am not safe for a single second from his goddamn puppets, and I can't turn my back without running into some strange trap!"

Dave barely took a breath after his rant before charging at Karkat. He barely had a moment to raise his arms in defence before Dave was on him, pinning him to the ground and throwing sloppy, drunken punches.

"I hate him so much!" Dave screamed.

Karkat growled and kicked Dave as hard as he could in the stomach, throwing the blond back, "Fuck Dave! If you hate him so much, why don't you just let them take your sorry, boring, fucking ass away?"

Dave hit the ground in front of Karkat with a dull thud. He sat there for a few seconds, clearly in a daze. He lowered his head. Apparently he had not noticed his glassed that were thrown off in the scuffle and had slid underneath the couch, because he did not reach for them again.

"Fuck you so hard." Dave snapped. He let Terezi help him back to his feet, his hand still clenched tightly around his phone, "FUCK YOU VANTAS!"

He pushed Terezi roughly aside, and ran for the door. He stumbled slightly as he ran, but somehow made it. Karkat swore. He was suddenly aware of Terezi helping him up. She dapped the side of his face with a cloth.

"Karkat." She said softly.

"What?" He muttered.

Suddenly he felt another fist collide with his face, and he fell backwards again. Once again, sitting dazed on the floor, he looked up and saw her looming over him, a scowl on her face, and Dave's shades in her hand.

"Don't EVER FUCKING MESS WITH MY PIES!" She screamed. Karkat watched in shock as she stormed away. He gaped at the crowd that had formed around them…

Well…

Fuck.

* * *

><p>== DAVE: Have everything go to hell<p>

* * *

><p>Hope that was a little better then it was? I'm definitely getting over this concussion! I can see straight again, and its taking less effort to type things right without spell check. Though I still don't have balance, or much motor control or whatever you call it, and my brain is still foggy, I think I am doing much better. Thank you all for your generous wishes! I am a complete klutz D:<p>

If things are totally out of whack, or don't make sense. Please forgive me, and I will fix it right away!


	9. DAVE: Have everything go to hell

== DAVE: Have everything go to hell

* * *

><p>Everything was going to hell.<p>

You should never have gone to that party. You should have just crashed at the Club House and stayed the night there. Fuck, you should never have trusted the pies, or Karkat, or anyone else there! You never should have gotten in that fight with Karkat those few days ago that started this whole mess!

Dave stumbled through the grass in the Pyrope's front yard, cursing himself. All he wanted to do was get as far from the house as possible. He stopped watching where he was going. It did not matter anyway, he was so stoned and drunk that he could not see the world around him. Everything was a blur. It did not even catch him off guard when he tripped over something and was thrown into the wet grass. Early morning dew covered his clothes, but he did not wait a second to brush it off. He stood up and kept running.

Wait? Didn't he just have something in his hand? What was it? Fuck it. It couldn't have been that important.

He knew he did not mean what he said about Bro to Karkat. Fuck, he said that to everyone. He always had to be the 'cool kid'. Showing any 'affection' for a family member would not be cool at all. And anything un-cool was definitely not Dave. So he usually shot off how harsh Bro was whenever he could, just to make himself seem more tragic.

But the truth - that he would guard until his death - was that he loved his brother. Bro was more then just his brother. He was his father. Sure, he was gone for long periods of time, and when he was there, he was usually angry with Dave for something Dave did, or was dragging him up to the roof to strife… but there was no way in hell he wanted to be taken away. That apartment was his home and Bro was his family. And now he was fucked.

He saw the blurry outline of the street in front of him, and ran out into it. If he could get across the street, then he could slip through Terezi's neighbour's yard and escape into the woods. He refused to think, he just charged out into the street.

It wasn't until he thought he was half way across the street, when he heard a loud honk, and noticed headlights washing over him that he realized running blindly was a bad idea. He looked up in shock, like a deer frozen in the headlights, as he saw the outline of a car souring his way.

* * *

><p>== BRO: Arrive<p> 


	10. BRO: Arrive

== BRO: Arrive

* * *

><p>Bro circled the block a few times. There was nowhere close to this 'Terezi' person's house to park. Too many people at the party were clogging up the street. He sighed and took another circle, before parking at the end and getting out of the car.<p>

It was shortly after three am. He knew exactly which house was the Pyrope's, by the loud music and lights booming out of it. He walked down the street, hands shoved into his pockets.

Dave was getting the lecture of his short fucking life when you found him. Heck, he'd be lucky if you did not lock him in his room with a ball and chain around his ankle…

Not that it mattered. The moment you found Dave, Bro knew that he would drag Dave's drunk ass home, put the kid to bed, and then have to call that damn Social Worker in the morning. Dave's stupid behaviour may have cost him the last chance Bro had of trying to get him back, but at least the kid bought Bro one more chance to see him.

Bro sighed and walked down the sidewalk. He saw a large hummer soar down the street at excessive speed and frowned. The idiot was going way to fast. Bro was only a single house away from Terezi's now. He'd only have to walk one more house over, cross the street, and he'd be able to find Dave.

Unfortunately, it looked like Dave was already on his way out.

Bro felt his heart stop before plummet to his stomach. His eyes followed the kid as he stumbled across the yard and out across the street - right in front of the hummer.

"DAVE!" Bro shouted. Within an instant, Bro's brain shut itself off. He could not think of anything except saving Dave. Moving on instinct, he flash stepped out across the sidewalk, and out into the street. He could see Dave's gaze trapped on the hummer's headlights as the large vehicle slammed on its brakes.

Bro flash stepped in front of the hummer, and pushed Dave as hard as he could, throwing the boy out of the way. He did not see if Dave made it to safety, because a second later, a sharp pain erupted through his body as the hummer hit him. He felt himself be thrown from the pavement and into the air, crunching over the windshield before spinning over the roof.

He never felt himself hit the ground.

* * *

><p>== Dave: Abscond<p>

* * *

><p>And that's it for tonight! Sorry to leave you all with the cliff-hanger, but I need to rest, the letters on the screen are starting to blur together again X.x<p> 


	11. DAVE: Abscond

== Dave: Abscond

* * *

><p>It took a few seconds for Dave to realize what had happened. One second he was running out into the street and was about to be hit by a car - and the next he was laying in the gutter, the curb of the sidewalk biting painfully into his back.<p>

A large black hummer that was only seconds ago racing at him, was long gone. Fled the scene like a fucking pussy.

How the hell did he get out of that alive?

Dave heard a loud gasp behind him. He turned around and saw that Terezi had followed him out. She was standing on the front porch, her hands covering her mouth and staring at the road. Dave followed her gaze and felt his heart skip a beat.

Bro was laying face down in the pavement. It took a few more seconds for his intoxicated mind to process what had happened… Dave was about to be hit by a car… and Bro had saved him. Bro let himself be hit in order to save Dave…

Dave jumped to his feet, his body feeling numb. He ran over and stood next to Bro, but was to afraid to touch him. His entire body was shaking violently.

"Bro?" Dave whispered. From the street lights above them, Dave could clearly see blood pooling beneath the crumpled body of his brother. Dave's heart-beat quickened. He dropped down to his knees, still too afraid to reach out and touch Bro. "Bro? Fuck man… shit ain't cool. Get up."

There was no response.

Bro was laying face first in the pavement, his shades were knocked off in the collision, and his arm was unnaturally bent behind his back. Dave was too afraid to look any further, and pulled his eyes away.

"BRO!" He shouted, "FUCK!"

Terezi was standing behind Dave now, she placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off. She turned around and called behind her for someone to call an ambulance. Numbly, Dave looked around. A crowd was starting to form around them. Dave could hear the startled gasps and murmurs ripple through them. He was vaguely aware of the blood from his Bro's body start to leak over his fingers. He ignored it, his eyes scanning the crowd.

"Was somebody hurt?"

"Someone call 911!"

"What happened?"

"Oh my god! Look at the blood!"

"Someone call an ambulance!"

"Shit! What about the sopor?""We're all going to get arrested!"

Fuck! Dave looked down at himself. His hands were coated in the green liquid. The green from the sopor mixing with the red from the blood on his palms.

He could barely hear someone on the phone, talking to a 911 dispatcher.

…911...

The police were going to be here.

And he was shit-plastered out of his mind.

His mind swirled with a mix of booze, sopor, and fear. The police were coming, and he was stoned. They were going to get him…

At that moment, his brain seemed to overload. He felt his eyes glaze over to the point he could not see - his mind going numb at the same time.

"Dave? Dave it's going to be ok."

He did not know who was talking to him. The voice was a muffled ghost behind him. He stood up.

"Dave… the ambulance is on its way… Dave? Oh my god Dave, are you alright?"

What the fuck did they think? No he was not 'alright'. His brother was cold in the pavement…and it was all his fault…

…All…his…fault…

The thought was like a whip to the face.

His brother was dead…and he killed him. He killed his own brother. The man that had raised Dave since he was a baby… he…killed him. Dave let his head fall into his hands and let out a loud cry. He felt someone place their hand on his shoulder. He sobbed, "Its…all…my fault."

"What?" Someone said behind him, "Dave no… its going to be alright."

"ITS ALL MY FUCKING FAULT!" He screamed, shoving that person's hand aside as forcefully as he could.

His vision cleared for a second, and he saw himself staring into Terezi's face. She looked worried. Dave cursed inwardly - and then the sound of sirens filled the night air.

Shit!

Dave panicked. Without thinking, he bolted away from Terezi, and the body of his Bro, and everyone else, and straight through the neighbours yard - bolting into the woods behind it. He could hear someone - probably Terezi - call after him, but he ignored them and kept running.

He never should have gone to that party. Fuck, he never should have gone to the Club House this morning… he should have just let the Social Worker take him away. If he did, this would have never happened. Bro would be ok, and Bro would have found a way to get him back.

Something tripped him, and he went sprawling to the ground, his hands getting cut up on the underbrush. He looked around from where he lay, the forest was thick and dense around him, too dense for the moonlight to even cut through. He could barely see. He tried to stand up, but his foot was caught on something. Cursing, he turned around. He could still hear the sound of the sirens, and watched as the lights pulled up.

"DAVE!"

Dammit! Terezi was trying to follow him. He swore under his breath and pulled at his leg as hard as he could, his foot came clear out of his shoe, leaving his shoe trapped in a root. He reached down for it, but saw a vague outline of Terezi heading his way, and instead of fighting to get the shoe free, he just turned and dashed through the woods, cursing and swearing at every evergreen needle or every twig that poked at his socked foot. Terezi's calls became more and more distanced as he ran. He looked behind him, panting heavily. The light from the sirens was no longer visible through the trees, and neither was the sound from the sirens. Terezi was nowhere in sight as well.

Something caught on his foot again as he looked back, and for a brief second, Dave thought he snagged his foot again - but the worry only lasted a second as he went to pull his foot loose, and felt his other foot step out into thin air. Dave gasped as his body tumbled forward, pulling himself loose and tumbling down a steep ravine. He screamed as he tumbled, clumps of dirt and rocks breaking loose with him.

He came to a stop at the bottom, a trickle of water washing over his feet. The bare foot throbbed painfully, the cold water feeling good against it. He tried to lean up, but his body had other plans. Instead, he just lay there in the ravine, shivering slightly. The jumbled mess that was left of his brain protested against any movement, and he felt tired.

Dave closed his eyes, certain they were not coming after him tonight…no one would be coming after him at all. It would be…safe to sleep here for now. He sighed, and let his mind drift off into the darkness.

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><p>== DAVE: Wake Up<p> 


	12. DAVE: Wake Up

Well… 12 chapters in, and we are just getting to the plot mentioned in the summery. I am a terrible person. Remember the summery when you originally clicked on the fic? Well, we're finally getting to it. Thank you for sticking around! And thank you to everyone who leaves me reviews! I love each and every one of them! Thank you for sticking around through my sickness, and through my concussion, and everything. I am trying my hardest here! Writing till I collapse X.x Thank you all again!

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><p>== DAVE: Wake Up<p>

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><p>Dave groaned. He was vaguely aware that there was an unnatural amount of light washing over him. He cursed inwardly. Did Bro open the blinds on him again? He was going to have to nail them shut. He sighed and reached down, as if to pull up his blankets - he was freezing! But two things came to mind the moment he tried. One, there was no blanket over him, and two, his entire body burned as he moved. He felt as if he had been through the biggest strife of his life, and could not remember it.<p>

He leaned up, his head pounding relentlessly, and opened his eyes. Realization shot through him like an arrow. Fuck. Yeah… he totally forgot. Last night he had been running through the woods after getting plastered, and fell down into a ravine. Another wave of realization hit him as he remembered WHY he had been running.

Bro was dead…he killed his own brother.

Dave felt his jaw tremble, but fought back the sob. Crying wasn't cool, and there was no way he'd break his cool… well, at least sober that is. He remembered his embarrassing fit last night and felt his stomach lurch. He leaned over and threw up.

He was not going back. Never! He wiped his mouth clean with the back of his sleeve, suddenly remembering he was still laying in water. He dragged himself up part of the ravine and sat on the hill.

The woodland around him was beautiful, and he could hear birds chirping all around him and a butterfly flapped its way through the air above him. By the height of the sun shining through the trees, it had to be midday at the latest. Everything looked peaceful. Dave wished he felt as peaceful as his surroundings.

What was he going to do? He would have to go back sometime. He could not stay in the woods forever…fuck that. He was. Starting right now, he was going to run away. Lots of kids run away right? Even if it was totally uncool to run… running away could be cool… oh who the fuck was he kidding? He knew he was running away because he was afraid, and being afraid was uncool. He was scared that the police would take him away. Afraid that he would be put in foster care, or worse. Afraid that he killed his own brother, and afraid about his embarrassing meltdown on Terezi's couch in front of everybody.

Something glittered in the sun bellow him. He cocked his head to the side, staring at whatever was reflecting light like a cheap Christmas ornament. Finally, curiosity got the better of him, and he stood up and climbed back down. His soggy sock sloshed through the dirt and mud, before Dave paused to take it off. He threw it aside and walked with one barefoot over to whatever was shinning. The glittering object was sitting in the mud across a small stream of water, like it had washed up there from somewhere. He sighed as he stepped through the water. The feeling of the crystal clear water against his ankles startled him awake, and he stopped for a moment to splash some of the water on his face, before continuing across. He stood above it with a frown.

It was just someone's discarded glasses. He bent down and picked them up. The glasses were thick black-rimmed, and one of the thick lenses were broken. They looked like classic-nerd spectacles. Dave lost all interest in them, and was about to throw them aside, when he noticed something on them. Caked in the mud and grime over them was speckles of blood. Dave felt a shiver go down his spine, and he quickly dropped them. The water carried them away. Dave shivered, and remembered the sopor that had covered him last night. He went back to the stream and washed his hands and face the best he could.

Now what?

He looked back, the glasses had washed ashore a little bit down, the lenses reflecting the sun back at Dave. He suddenly wished he still had his shades with him. But those were back at Terezi's, and he already promised himself he was not going back there. Guess there was nothing to do for now. He sighed dramatically and walked back over to the glasses. He picked them up, and shoved them in his pocket, before walking upstream.

Somehow he was going to have to find out what was going to happen to his Bro. Would he get a proper funeral? Who was going to pay for it? Would anyone come looking for him? Or could Dave disappear and no one would care?

The air was getting warmer, and Dave quickly realized that walking through the stream was easier on his damaged and bare foot then walking on the rocks. The water was cool and refreshing.

…Refreshing.

He suddenly realized he had not had anything to eat since the spiked pies - and those three pieces of pie was all he had yesterday. His stomach lurched again at the thought of food, and he nearly threw up again. He was so distracted, that he nearly tripped over something.

He stopped in front of it. It was a green and black backpack, the zipper busted, and several school supplies spilling out into the water. The books and school work inside was drenched. Dave kicked it over. There was a design of a green slime ghost on the front, the words in dark green written across the top spelt out 'GHOSTBUSTERS'

Dave frowned. Some nerd was probably missing his bag. He reached out and pulled it from the water, throwing it to the side unceremoniously before starting up the stream again. He was about to continue, when he saw what was ahead and stopped. The stream was opening up into a gutter. Dave could see a street corner, and houses beyond it. There was a strange sort of 4x4 tire tracks leading from the gutter, and off into the trees. Dave looked at the trajectory of it. The bag was in the perfect spot if someone had thrown it out of a moving vehicle.

Curiosity erupted through him. He went back and picked up the soggy bag, throwing it over his shoulders and following the tracks up the slope, and into the trees. There was several broken branches, as if something had whipped through the trees without much care.

A bad feeling settled in the pit of Dave's stomach as he followed the tire tracks through the woods. Things were quiet, and it did not sound like anyone was out here 4x4ing… but the damage to the trees were new, and the backpack couldn't have been there for very long without being washed too far downstream.

He trudged through the forest, a shiver going down his spine. The tire tracks ended, and he saw that whoever had driven out here, turned around here and drove back. Weird. There was no sign of a bush party. No empty bottles or remnants of a bonfire. But who knows? Maybe the collage or high school kids or whoever was here cleaned up after themselves? He sighed and turned to walk back the way he came, when something caught his attention. He walked over to it.

It was a torn up and dirty blue hoody. The hoody was full of holes, and was smeared with blood and dirt. Dave's heart skipped a beat. Why the hell was a blood-covered hoody doing way out here? He dropped the backpack down and ran to the edge of the tire tracks. There was a sharp hill beyond them, and at the bottom Dave saw something that made his blood run cold.

For the second time within a short, twenty-four hour span, Dave was staring at a corpse.

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><p>TEREZI: Clean up this mess!<p> 


	13. TEREZI: Clean Up This Mess!

TEREZI: Clean up this mess!

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><p>"Dave!" Terezi yelled, running through the trees.<p>

"Terezi! Terezi wait! Please!"

She could hear someone calling after her, but she did not stop. Tears filled her eyes as she ran, pushing all the branches and everything else that came in front of her aside.

"Dave! Stop! Please wait!" She sobbed. She must be closing in on him. She just had to be! Dave was too incoherent to even see straight - there was no way he could outrun her right now! She tried to pick up the pace, but felt someone grab her from behind.

"LET ME GO!" She screamed, struggling against whoever was wrapping their arms around her waist. "HELP!"

"Shut the fuck up, Pyrope!"

Terezi instantly recognized Karkat's voice, and stopped struggling. Choking back a sob, she cried, "Let me go! We have to go after Dave!"

"In the dark? Terezi, we have to go back and wait for the fucking emergency vehicles to arrive!" Karkat growled, "Dave will be fine. He can't stick around because the police are bound to show up."

She stopped struggling, Karkat's words hitting her in the chest. She turned around in his arms, and wrapped her own around him, "Why?"

"I am…so fucking sorry." Karkat whispered, "I fucked up. I'm sorry."

Terezi's grip on him tightened, before she pushed him off. The sound of sirens filling her ears, "I'll never forgive you if something happens to him!"

She could not see the look in Karkat's eyes, but she could sense him flinch back at her words. Good. She pushed him once more for good measure, and ran back towards the street, tears dripping down her cheeks as she ran.

She could not hear him follow her, but right now, she did not care. How dare he do this to her? She broke through the trees and ran through the neighbour's backyard. The couple that lived in the house were sitting on their front porch, watching the emergency vehicles pull up, and did not even look her way as she ran past. She ran straight up to where Dave's brother lay on the ground as the Ambulance pulled to a halt.

"What happened here?" They asked. Terezi tried explaining the best she could while the paramedics lifted Mr. Strider's body off the pavement, and into the ambulance. The Police were the next to come up to her, and Terezi prayed they could not smell the sopor on her… but unfortunately, they asked to search her house. Without thinking, she nodded. She was busted anyway. Her parents were going to find out about this party, and they were going to know about the drugs and underaged drinking taking place inside. Most of the kids who had been at the party had already fled, the few stragglers who stayed to watch the 'action' were arrested by the police. Terezi was at home, so they did not bother to arrest her. But she watched painfully as one of the officers got on the phone with her parents.

Tonight was the worst night of her life.

She choked back a sob. At least Dave and Karkat were not here. The officer handed her the phone, saying her parents wanted 'a few words with her', and she sat there sobbing as she heard her father scream at her from the other side. They were heading straight home from their anniversary vacation, and wanted the house spotless by the time they got home.

Terezi nodded along with her father's 'words of choice' as he screamed at her, and she apologized over and over again.

"And remember Terezi, clean that mess up this moment! If I see a single speck of illegal substance of any kind in my house ever again, I will send you to military camp for the rest of your fucking life!"

Terezi nodded, "Yes Dad… I'm sorry…"

He hung up.

Terezi choked back a sob and turned around. Another officer was running up to her.

"Ms. Pyrope?" He asked.

"Y-yes?" She whispered.

"You said the vehicle in question was a black hummer, correct?" He said. She nodded. His face fell grave, "Did you get the license plate?" She shook her head. He sighed, "A black hummer…"

She watched as the officer immediately got on his walkie-talkie, "All units! A black hummer was spotted on Alternia Street, heading east-bound. It could be the vehicle in question! Everyone be alert! All units! Please be on the look out for a black hummer. It could be Jack Noir. Do not engage the vehicle, just keep an eye on it. The hostage could still be inside."

"Hostage?" Terezi muttered, saying her thoughts out-loud.

The officer turned back to Terezi, "Did you see if there was a passenger in the hummer?" She shook her head, and the officer ran off. She shivered. Better not get involved in that case… wait… Jack Noir? Her thoughts immediately ran to Karkat's friend. Could it be the same guy?

She clenched the front of her shirt while the emergency crews cleared out, leaving her standing alone in her front yard. She dropped her face into her hands, her fingers scraping against something on the top of her head. She gasped and pulled off a pair of shades that she had forgotten she put on her head earlier.

Dave would come back later. She felt a sigh of relief wave through her. Yes, Dave would return for his shades, and she would tell him everything that the emergency personnel just told her. Karkat would probably come back tomorrow, and she would tell him what the officer just said about Jack Noir. Karkat would believe her. She was sure of it. He would drop Jack as a friend, and everyone would move on with their lives…

Right?

She sighed. The time to worry about that was later. Tonight she had to start cleaning up this mess… and face the wrath of her parents tomorrow…

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><p>DAVE: Investigate the Body<p>

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><p>How many people were reading along with the hints in the last chapter? Who was like 'OH HELL NO!' while Dave found more and more hints of the body along the way? Haha! I hope I made it painfully obvious enough.<p>

Next chapter shouldn't take too long to be uploaded :) Sorry for the wait on this one!


	14. DAVE: Investigate the Body

OMG! *blushes like mad* Thank you everyone for your kind reviews last chapter! I was grinning like mad, and it definitely made my day AWESOME! I'm so happy! You guys are the greatest! I will continue to work my hardest on these two stories!

Oh, and also, I just want to ask if everyone is ok with the rating? There is a lot of swear words in this (nothing not used in Homestuck though), and some dark themes. If anyone has a problem with the rating, please let me know and I will change it. I'm new to this whole writing fanfic thing. Thank you all, and thank you for your wonderful reviews!

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><p>==DAVE: Investigate the Body<p>

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><p>Dave's heart was pounding so hard he could hear it ringing in his ears. The body was thrown down the steep hill like it was a sack of trash. He could barely see it from where it laid.<p>

"Hey?" He called, hearing his voice shake. Good thing no one could hear him. This would be embarrassing. He leaned over the hill, "You alive down there?" - No answer. Duh. It was a corpse…

Dave swallowed hard and began climbing down the hill, the hoody and backpack forgotten at the top. His entire body was shaking. As he got closer, he could see the blood trailing down the hill. He held his breathe as he reached the bottom, walking around the body until he was staring it in the face. Dave's heart was racing.

The body was that of a kid, either the same age, or slightly younger then Dave. His features were soft, untouched by puberty yet. His black hair was a tangled mess, and his eyes were closed.

"Hey. Hey kid… are you alive?" Dave's voice was unsteady. He swallowed hard and knelt down in front of the body, "Shit man…fuck."

What was he going to do? Call 911? Yes… he should. But that would mean the emergency crews were going to be here… and oh my god did the kid's fingers just twitch?

Dave's breathe caught in his throat. Yes, he wasn't imagining it. The kid's fingers had just curled into a loose ball. Oh fuck… was he still alive? Numbly, Dave leaned over and pressed his face to the kid's chest.

A faint thumping could he heart… faint and far apart, but still there.

OH SHIT HE WAS STILL ALIVE!

Dave panicked and fell backwards away from the not-a-corpse. What did he do? He chewed his bottom lip and fumbled through his pockets. Where was his phone? Shit, didn't he have a phone on him? Where did he drop it? Dave counted to three, telling himself to breathe. He looked at the boy, and then scrambled back up the hill to where the hoody and backpack still rested. He dumped the backpack on the ground, several notebooks fell out, as well as an agenda from Washington Middle School? What the fuck was a kid from Washington doing here in Texas? Fuck it, it wasn't his concern. Didn't this kid have a phone or anything? A Nintendo 3DS fell from the backpack, along with a stylus and a couple of games, a sticker of that damn slime ghost covering the logo. Well, that ruled out a robbery gone bad. Wouldn't a thief take off with a newer system like that? Dave ignored it and rummaged through the empty sack. No fucking phone.

He dropped the empty bag into the dirt and ran over to the hoody. Thankfully, a blue phone fell out of one of the pockets, and Dave snatched it up with a sigh of relief. He started dialing 9-1-1 and scrambled back down the hill, still clenching the hoody tightly, ignoring all the twigs and undergrowth that picked at his barefoot.

"Hello, 911 dispatcher, what is your emergency?"

"Fuck." Dave said without thinking, "I thought I found a body, but it isn't a body, the kid is still alive!"

"You thought you found a body?" A female voice came out from the other side, peaked with curiosity,

"Aren't you fucking listening? He's alive. What the fuck do I do?" Dave reached the bottom of the hill and crouched down next to the boy.

"Is he still breathing?" She asked,

"I- I don't know? He's not moving." Dave replied.

"What is your name?" She asked,

Dave hesitated. Fuck. If he gave her his name, that would mean they would find him. Fear erupted through him as he thought of the Police taking him away, before he realized that he had nothing to return to anymore anyway.

"Hello?" She asked,

He sucked in a deep breathe and replied, "Its Dave."

"Ok Dave," She responded, apparently ok with the answer, "I need you to put your ear up to his face - we need to know if he is exhaling anything."

Dave thought about putting his face close to another boy's face, and could almost feel his face contort. Slowly, he lowered his head until his cheek was right above the boy's mouth, and listened. Nothing. There was no sound from him, nor the feeling of air moving against his skin.

Dave pulled back and pressed the phone back to his ear, "No. He's not breathing."

"Ok, you need to keep calm, and do exactly what I tell you." her voice was calm, which felt so weird with the way Dave was feeling. Dave felt like if he had any shit in him, it would be flipping. She continued, "You are going to have to perform CPR."

"C-P what?" Dave snapped,

"Yes." She repeated, "Ok, Dave, you need to do exactly what I say, ok?"

Dave nodded, forgetting she could not see him through the phone.

"Dave," She said calmly, "We need to make sure his airway is open. Lift up his chin, while tilting back his forehead. Ok? Next, you need to pinch his nose, and breathe some air into his lungs. Take a normal breathe, and then do two quick breathes into his mouth."

"You want me to kiss him?" Dave's heart was pounding erratically against his chest. Fuck! No way was he kissing this bloody not-dead-kid at his feet.

"Its not kissing." She promised, "Dave, this could save his life. After giving the two breathes, if he is still not breathing, you need to do chest compressions. Put both your hands in the center of his chest, and press hard and fast for thirty times."

Dave nodded. He put the phone in the dirt and took a deep breath. He looked down at the kid's pale, bluish lips and felt a shiver go down his spine. Fuck… he never thought in a million years he'd ever kiss a guy…

Fuck it.

He dove in, following the woman's orders. He squeezed his eyes shut as his lips connected sideways with the boy's, and he breathed out into his mouth. After two breathes and there was no response, he moved and started the chest compressions - even repeating the process twice before picking up the phone.

"There is no response! Fuck! He's turning blue, what do I do?" Dave was shaking so badly, he could barely hold the phone.

"Emergency vehicles are on their way. What is your location?"

"I'm in the ravine between Alternia Street, and Hivebent Avenue." Dave said, "We're just down a hill off to the side."

"They will be there shortly, can you stay with the body?"

Can you stay with the body… fuck, she sounded like she expected him to die. Angrily, Dave hung up the phone. No! Fuck that! There had been too many times in the last couple of days where he screwed up. He was not going to screw up again. He was NOT going to let this Washington kid die. He dove in again, breathing hard into the kids mouth, ignoring the fact that he was mixing saliva with a boy. He repeated the chest compressions.

"Fuck!" Dave cried. Wait? When did he start crying. This was so uncool…Luckily no one was around to see him. "Don't you fucking die on me! Don't you dare!" He bent down and started to breathe into his mouth again. _PLEASE! _He screamed in his head as he breathed again into the kid's mouth, and this time, something startled him.

The kid coughed into his mouth. Dave jumped back. He wiped his lips that were now covered in saliva and looked down. The kid was coughing and gasping for air. Dave felt his heart jump and a smile unironically spread across his face as he saw the kid start to open his eyes.

Dave was still leaning over the kid, and as soon as the boy's bright blue eyes opened, and connected with Dave's, the kid did something he was never expecting. The kid started crying.

Panic soured through his mind as he saw the kid start tearing up, and sobs started to mix with his coughing. The smile on Dave's face disappeared.

"Shit kid!" Dave gasped, draping the hoody over the sobbing boy, "You're ok. Stop crying!"

But he didn't, his sobs just kept getting mixed with his coughing, and tears streamed down his face. He did not move, his arm was clinging to Dave's as if Dave was the only lifeline the kid had left.

Whelp. This kid just hit a soft spot. He can't deny that. No one in your entire life had ever done that. His bright blue eyes were locked on Dave as if they needed him, as if…if he disappeared he would fade away again. He looked terrified…

No one had ever looked at him like that.

A small smile spread across Dave's lips again. After all the mistakes he had just made, he did one thing right. He saved this kids life. Out of everything fucked up in Dave's life… he managed to do something good.

The sound of sirens filled the air. Shit! Dave pulled the kid off of him and stood up. He completely forgot about the emergency crews on their way! What should he do? Should he stay? Should he run? They sounded close. Once again, Dave panicked. He looked down at the boy, still mostly hidden under his hoody, still looking up at him with lost, puppy-dog-like eyes.

"Sorry." Dave murmured, before turning and bolting away - through the trees as fast as he could run. Knowing his luck, the police would only blame him for whatever happened to the kid anyway. That was the last thing he needed…

He kept running, afraid to look back as he whipped through the trees. After what felt like forever, he finally slowed down. The trees were getting thicker, more spread apart, and the sound of the city around them was gone. He stopped and collapsed, leaning against a tree, and curled up against it, drawing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them.

He could almost hear Terezi's voice in his head…

Now What?

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><p>== CORPSE: Revive<p>

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><p>I hope I got the process of CPR right? I don't know… I hope so… now please excuse me while I pass out here in my cereal D: I've been in a weird mood the last few days, and its probably evident in my writing. Two of my friends are currently fighting depression, and heavily relying on me to get through it, even though I just recovered from a concussion, and my gf is acting...idk, weird? Distant even. I'll try to snap out of it by the next update D:<p> 


	15. CORPSE: Revive

== CORPSE: Revive

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><p>He was definitely not a corpse, nor was he sure he was ever one. No, he was very much alive. But he definitely felt like he should have been a corpse.<p>

When he finally started to regain consciousness, there was too things he was aware of, a sharp burning pain all over his body, and a dull beeping sound flooding through his ears. He wasn't sure if he could move, but knew he had to start somewhere. He curled his hand into a fist, and a startled gasp overpowered the constant beeping.

"By golly! I think he's waking up! Jade! Be a dear and fetch the doctor, will you please?"

What? Who the hell was that? He had never heard that voice before. Slowly, he started opening his eyes, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a pair of sparkling, forest-green eyes leaning over him.

"Good morning ol' chap!" The green-eyed man chirped, leaning back and settling down in a chair next to him.

He looked around, he was definitely in a hospital bed. An IV drip was secured to his hand, and his leg was elevated below him, as well as one of his arms. Ok…so two of his four limbs were in casts and raised up into the air. He'll have to ask for further 'damage control' from the Doctor when he arrived. Till then, there was this strange, green-eyed man sitting next to him to deal with.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the green-eyed man cut him off, "I am so pleased you are awake! We've been waiting for days for you to wake up!"

"Who?" He asked.

"Oh!" The colour drained from his face for a second, before being replaced by a cheery smile, "Where ever are my manners? A good gentleman is never without them… oh dear, I am so sorry chap! My name is Jake English."

He did not say anything, just remained silent, studying this strange man's face. He looked around the same age as himself, though he was unshaven and looked very tired. Dark lines traced the even darker bags under those bright green eyes, and he as slightly hunched over. He spoke with a heavy English accent, mimicking his last name. Whoever he was, he had never seen him before in his life.

A young girl, maybe around Dave's age, or a little younger skipped into the room. She wore a black dress, and stripped stockings - with her long wavy black hair, and thick rimmed glasses, it kind of reminded him of a witch. Her eyes were green, like the strange man in front of him, but a lighter, more olive in colour.

"I got the Doctor, Uncle Jake!" She cheered, a bright cheery smile, even brighter then the one Jake gave him.

"Good girl!" Jake smiled, getting up to walk over to them. He ruffled her hair before looking at the Doctor, "Looks like our friend has woken up!"

The doctor was a tall woman, with fuchsia coloured eyes, and long black hair. She smiled at Jake, "You should probably get some rest now, Mr. English. Everything will be alright now."

Jake shook his head, "I'll be alright. Come on Jade, how about I get you something to eat from the cafeteria, while the nice Doctor looks over our friend?"

"Ok!" Jade grinned, grabbing onto her uncle's hand.

Jake shot him one more bright smile, before letting the girl pull him from the room. Ok, that was probably the most random thing that had ever happened to him. Who the hell was those two?

"Good afternoon, Mr. Strider." She smiled, "My name is Dr. Peixes. I just need to ask you a few questions to check your memory. What is your name?"

"Dirk Strider."

"Your age?"

Dirk had to think about that for a few seconds, "Thirty?"

"Good. Occupation?"

"Ventriloquist." He replied without skipping a beat.

She asked a few more questions, and seemed content with the results. She wrote down some stuff on the clipboard in her hands.

"What happened?" Dirk finally asked,

"Mr. Strider," She said softly, "You were hit by a car a couple of days ago. You were rushed into the O.R, and we preformed several operations to save your life."

Fuck. Operations? How the hell was he going to pay for all this? There was no way in hell he could even afford a hospital room. He was screwed!

"I thought you needed an O.K from the patient for that." Dirk snapped.

"If we did not proceed right away, Mr. Strider, you would have died." She promised.

"You know I can't afford this right?" He retorted,

"Your stay and operations have already been paid." She smiled.

"By who?" Dirk asked, raising an eyebrow. Hell, even that motion hurt.

"Mr. English has everything already paid for." She said, turning away from him, "You should feel grateful for having such a caring friend. Maybe when you get out of here, you should repay him with a nice dinner, hmm?"

"I never met the guy before." Dirk grumbled. But she did not seem to hear him. She just strolled away.

Who was this Jake English character?

As if on cue, Jake and Jade strolled back into the room, Jake had two coffee's in Styrofoam cups, and reached out to hand Dirk one, with a tired smile.

"You look like shit." Dirk said without thinking, he reached out and accepted the cup with his good arm.

Jake's grin widened, "Haven't been sleeping, mate. Way too many irons in the fire."

Dirk frowned, "The Doctor said you paid for everything… why? I don't even know you."

Jake laughed tiredly, and sat down in the chair next to Dirk's bed, "Jade, why don't you go down to the gift shop and get yourself something?"

"Ok!" She replied as Jake handed her a twenty, before skipping out of the room.

Jake turned back to Dirk the moment she left, "Because my nephew's life is indebted to your son."

Dirk looked at Jake suspiciously, "What?"

Jake laughed, "We are forever in your debt, ol' chap!" His face fell grave, "There has been… a series of events that happened prior to this incident that inevitably crossed our paths."

"Events?" Dirk asked.

Jake sighed sadly, "The vehicle that hit you, chap, was none other then Jack Noir's get-away vehicle. What he was doing in a suburban neighbourhood - no one knows. John filled me in on the rest of this - so excuse me if I am missing details. He was pretty… incoherent on morphine when he told me, but the reason John may be alive right now, is because the car hit you."

Dirk raised an eyebrow, "And that makes sense how?"

"I guess I should start from the beginning, shouldn't I?" Jake ran a tired hand over his face, "I definitely am not passing for a proper gentleman here am I? Sorry about this. Its been a long week. My older brother, Jade and John's father, got himself mixed in with Jack Noir through a drug trade. Jack Noir is the leader of a large network of gangs that basically rule this half of the united states, or so I've been told. His 'involvement' got him deep in debt to Mr. Noir, and well… Mr. Noir decided to 'take back' the debt in the form of my brother's life."

"He killed your brother?" It was not a question, it was a statement, and Jake nodded in agreement.

"He killed my brother, and then took my nephew as a hostage, threatening that if the police followed him, he'd kill the boy. We don't know what transpired between Washington and Texas, but somehow Mr. Noir and my nephew ended up here. John - my nephew - said that shortly before the car collided with you, Mr. Noir got on the phone with someone, and asked them to do a 'favour for him in exchange for drugs', and then turned to him and said that he was going to 'clean his hands' of John, and have someone else kill him - but instead he hit you, and panicked…"

Jake paused, running his fingers through his hair, he sighed, "Apparently he decided to 'get rid of the evidence' as fast as he could, himself, circling around the block and stabbed John in the chest, before throwing him down into the ravine. John couldn't tell us what happened after that, but he remembered waking up and seeing a pair of red eyes leaning over him. The 911 dispatcher was able to fill us in on the rest, by John's description of the person, and the dispatcher's recording, as well as witness reports from the scene where you were hit, the police were able to identify that the 'Dave' who found John at the bottom of the hill was none other then your son…"

"Brother." Dirk corrected,

Jake nodded, "Dave saved John's life. Though the Doctors here were stunned John lasted so long… that kid has always been a fighter."

"Where is Dave?" Dirk asked,

Jake sighed sadly, he looked away from him, "We don't know. No one has seen him since that day."

"And that was?" Dirk asked,

"Two days ago." Jake mumbled.

"TWO DAYS?" Dirk yelled, "He's been missing for two fucking days?"

Jake nodded, "The police are out looking for him. His friend Terezi was brought in yesterday for questioning, since she was the last person other then my nephew who saw him. She turned over his cell-phone. The Doctor said an officer will bring it up here when you wake up, the police need to hear your side of the story now…since it is tied to a murder and kidnapping investigation."

Great. Just what he needed. Dirk sighed, and turned his face away from Jake, "Thanks… by the way."

"For?" Jake asked,

"Paying my hospital visit." Dirk mumbled.

Jake smiled, "Oh! That! Well, it's the least I can do! Your so…brother saved my nephews life! If you did not get hit by that car, and your brother did not run away… John probably would have died at the bottom of that ravine!"

"Where is this John guy?" Dirk asked, "Shouldn't you be by his bedside?"

"John was brought back to the O.R for another operation." Jake promised,

"Your paying for his visit too I presume?" Dirk asked,

"Yuppers!" Jake nodded, "Which, hope you don't mind ol' chap, but John and you will be sharing a room - so I only have to pay for one hospital room?"

Dirk shrugged the best he could, and Jake smiled.

The guy clapped his hands and nodded, "Great! That is awesome! I bet you two will get along smashingly!"

Dirk just shrugged. All he wanted to do was get out of this hospital, and find his kid-brother.

The door opened up, and Dr. Peixes walked in, hugging her clipboard tightly, "Mr. English?"

Jake turned around and looked at her,

"Your nephew is out now, and they will be bringing him up here shortly." She smiled. She then turned her attention to Dirk, "And Mr. Strider? There is a police officer here to see you, as well as Dave's social worker."

Dirk bit his bottom lip. Cursing loudly in his head.

"Which one would you like to see first?" She asked.

Dirk - still cursing loudly in his head, replied, "The cop." That damn bitch could afford to wait a while.

The Doctor nodded and left the room.

This was officially the worst day of his life…and by the sounds of it, it was about to get much worse.

* * *

><p>== DAVE: Abscond Further<p>

* * *

><p>I added the 17 from chapter two, when Dirk said he was 'barely 17 when he found Dave' and 13, which is Dave's age to get the 30. Oh, and I am a Canadian guy, so I don't know anything about the American hospitals or health regulations, I know we have Health Care here in Canada, but to my understanding, in the USA you have to pay for medical attention there, correct? Please correct me if I am wrong, I have no idea how things work down there : ) As for the English sounding terms used by Jake, I've taken them from a British friend of mine, I hope they sound ok XD<p> 


	16. DAVE: Abscond Further

I was so wanting to scream PSYCHE! Last chapter XD That, and if anyone read between the lines, you probably would have noticed that Karkat just BARELY got out of a deal with Jack to kill John? If the deal with the Sopor fell through, Karkat would have had no choice. Good thing Dirk was there to get all the damage, and save the day... sort of...

This chapter could be slightly m rated, if you read between the lines. Heck, you don't need to even read between the lines. But I won't go into graphic detail.

* * *

><p>== DAVE: Abscond Further<p>

* * *

><p>A couple of hours ago, Dave had stumbled upon a highway. It was late in the afternoon, but luckily whatever highway this was, was not highly occupied. There was a couple of cars whipping past on both sides of the two laned road, but no big traffic to worry about.<p>

Today was the second day after Dave ran away.

The first day, he hid in the woods all day. It was probably the most boring day of his life, and if he didn't have that gnawing hunger in his gut to distract him, he wasn't sure what he would have done. The long day spent in the woods though, gave him a lot of time to think. He leaned up against a tree trunk, and tried to think things through, but his brain refused. All that would come to his mind was all the times he'd fucked up…

_At least I saved that kid…_

_But you killed your brother._

_I didn't mean to!_

_You never should have gone to Terezi's._

_How was I supposed to know that Karkat would spike the pies?_

_You never should have started drinking…_

_You never should have continued to ingest sopor…_

_You are a worthless sack of trash._

_No one is left that wants you around._

_No use staying around._

_It would be better if you just disappeared…_

Dave screamed and let his head drop in his hands. His stomach growled painfully, and distracted him from his thoughts again. He cursed and forced himself up, continuing to wander aimlessly. At least exploring took his mind of other things…

That night, he wandered back towards the club house, and waited in the bushes for it to clear out, before sneaking in. There was always supplies waiting there. He was extremely cautious, and the hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up. Any little noise in the woods startled the crap out of him. The last thing he needed was someone coming back, and seeing him raid the place.

Someone had left a backpack full of incomplete schoolwork in the corner, and Dave dumped it on the floor. He would need it more then they would. He did not even bother to pick up the spilt pens and pencils, and just hurried over to the makeshift bed in the corner. A sleeping bag was rolled up in the corner, as well as a small pillow. They always kept that here in case someone needed a place to crash… well, Dave would probably need that more then them too. He stuffed the sleeping bag and pillow into the backpack. A black hoody was hanging from the wall. He had no idea who it belonged to, but threw it on anyway. It smelled heavily of smoke, but at this moment, Dave did not care. He looked around, sometimes they kept snacks around the Club House - and thankfully, this time Dave was right. There was an open box of gushers to his left, containing four packages, he dumped them into his pocket. There was a small cooler in the corner, and he opened it up. Several cans of soda was left, and he took those as well, shoving them in various pockets of the backpack. A box full of goodies was usually next to it, but it was mostly raided. A package of beef jerky and two bags of chips rested in it. He picked them up, and saw a package of apple juice, and a package of ichiban underneath. SCORE!

He immediately opened the apple juice and started drinking it. There was no water to boil the ichiban, so he decided to eat it dry. He engulfed the dry snack, and prepared to abscond the hell out of there, with a backpack full of chips and sleeping stuff, he was ready to take on the night! He reached the exit before he gave a tired sigh.

What the fuck was he doing? Where was he going to go? At least if he let himself be captured, he would get fostered out to a new family… but… he'd probably just ruin that new families life… the way he ruined Bro's. At the thought of Bro, he felt his knees buckle, and his chest tighten. He dropped down to his knees in front of the exit.

When he could feel a breakdown about to come on, he let himself flop over on the floor. Shielding his eyes in his elbows. This was all his fault.

He wasn't sure when, but when he woke up and felt the cold morning air over him, he knew he had dozed off. He looked up, and the sky was gray around him. He pushed himself off the ground, his clothing damp with morning dew, and walked over to the window. The horizon was just starting to turn pink. Cursing himself for staying so long, he picked up his stolen bag, and hurried down the ladder and out through the trees.

And there he spent the remainder of the day wandering through the woods until he ended up here, on the side of the highway. He clenched he straps of his bag tighter as he walked. Where was this road heading? Who the fuck knew… he did not even know where he was going.

Maybe he could find his birth mother? Fuck that! That bitch left him at the side of the road to die. He'd be happy if he never saw her face - ever. Then where? He was only thirteen… way to young to get a job or rent an apartment… he could go find a youth shelter in a neighbouring city and use a fake name? Yeah… that's probably what he would end up doing.

Dave sighed. How did he go from being a 'cool kid' to a runaway in such a short time span?

Time passed, it could have been hours, it could have been minutes… he wasn't sure. He still had that kid's phone pressed in his pocket, but he did not dare to use it. He wondered if he should just throw it aside? What if that kid had a tracking device on it? A shiver went up his spine… yeah, lets not think about that. The sun was now bright over head, and the air was heating up. Dave's pace dramatically slowed down as he felt his body start to overheat. The forests on the side of him started to disappear, and he was left with a flat expanse of ground. He did not know when he started panting, but he suddenly knew he was exhausted, and needed shade… but there was none in sight. He reached for one of the pops in his bag, but it had grown warm - almost hot - and tasted disgusting. He drank it anyway, and threw the can to the side of the road.

If he did not find some shade soon… he knew he was going to be in trouble.

Not a single vehicle had passed in nearly an hour. Dave was starting to wonder what kind of highway did not have any traffic on it? But he did not think about it too much. He had long pulled the hoody off, and had thrown it in the bag, but that did not stop his shirt from sticking to him with sweat.

Gross…at this rate, he's going to get a sunburn.

Finally, a semi appeared in the distance behind him. He turned around, and saw the distorted image through the waves of heat. He wanted to wave out to it, but couldn't find the energy to raise his arm. Thankfully though, because the truck driver seemed to get the point, and slowed down. He stopped right next to Dave, and rolled down the passenger window.

"Hey kid!" A buff, hairy, slightly overweight man in need of a beard trim called out, "What are you doing way out here?"

"Can I catch a ride?" Dave did not care about his 'cool kid persona' at this moment. All he wanted to do was get out of the sun.

A sly smile crossed his thick, cracked, hairy lips, "I dunno kid. Giving out free rides is kind of against policy, you know?"

"What fucking policy?" Dave snapped, "Listen dude… I don't have anything."

That sly smile turned into a flat out, creepy grin, "Oh, you do. But we'll worry about that later, after you get out of the sun and cool off. Come on." He leaned over and pushed the passenger door open.

Dave thought for a moment…this guy was obviously bad news. But at this rate, he was too tired, sore, and depressed to care. Who would even notice if this guy kidnapped him? No one. At least he would die in an air-conditioned semi, then by the side of the road. Without another thought, he hoisted himself up into the truck. The semi-driver licked his lips with a laugh, and rolled back up the windows, turning the air-conditioning full blast.

For the first time in days, Dave was grateful for something. He felt the cold air wash over him and sighed, leaning back in the seat, he closed his tired eyes.

He woke up when he felt the truck come to a halt. He groaned and opened his eyes, "W-Where?" He looked around, they were on a dirt road - the highway nowhere to be seen.

"We're almost in Baton Rouge." He stated, unbuckling his seat-belt, "We've got a good hour until we're in the city itself - this is an old abandoned logging road - a place we won't be disturbed."

"D-Disturbed?" Dave whispered, his eyes widening.

"When I picked you up, I told you that you would have to pay me for my services." He licked his lips again, staring at Dave hungrily,

"I…don't have anything." Dave's voice was barely above a whisper. He wondered if he could book it out of the semi cab… but then what? He was in the middle of nowhere. He could run through the woods like some idiot, and get lost in this unfamiliar territory…but that idea did not sound to nice. Instead, he choked out, "W-Where were we heading anyway?"

"New York, but I can drop you off wherever you want." He promised.

Dave let out a sigh, "So your not going to kill me?" Wow… that sounded so uncool. But then again, what was cool about this? The way this man was staring at you, was giving you the creeps.

The man laughed, "Kid, this is not the first time I've done this. I pick up runaways all the time…and give them a taste of what they should expect from now on."

"Now on?" Dave asked,

"Ninety-percent of runaways end up on the street." The man promised, "If they survive, then they usually survive by the sex-trade."

The way he said 'sex-trade' made Dave's skin crawl.

"I will show you what you can expect for the rest of your life." The man laughed, "Trading sexual acts for favours."

Dave's breathe got caught in his throat. He suddenly realized what the man wanted in 'payment' for the ride. "Uh… no fucking way! I-I can't do that!"

"Hey kid, you either pay me, or I'll have to take my payment. Its up to you." He shrugged.

Dave swallowed hard. Looking around for a way to escape. He sighed and slumped back against the seat, with how weak and tired he felt, if he tried to run, this man would only catch him. He leaned back against the seat, and heard a sob escape from his lips.

* * *

><p>== JAKE: Comfort Comrades<p>

* * *

><p>Aaaaaaaaannnndddd we are back to the twisted bit. Miss it? I know you did not. One of these days, I'm just going to go write a fluffy happy story, just to mess with everyone's minds : 3 That, and if any of you know me from DeviantArt, you'll know that every time I do something to depressive, I have to turn around and draw something funny... hence my Disneystuck pictures hehehe~! After writing this, I think I am going to go draw one now...<p> 


	17. JAKE: Comfort Comrades

== JAKE: Comfort Comrades

* * *

><p>Jake sat in the uncomfortable chair, the same way he had been doing for the last two days. His back ached and he was more tired then he would ever admit. He slouched slightly in the chair, his shoulders stooped over as he read a book. The bags under his eyes were prominent, and his eyelids felt heavy with sleep. He shook his head lightly and leaned back in the chair, letting his head snap back and rest against the wall behind him.<p>

John was still in Emergency, and the Nurses were waiting for Mr. Strider to give his side of the report to the police, before moving him up. The Emergency room was busy, and Jake wanted nothing more then to hurry up and be moved to the room he was paying an arm and a leg for. John had not come out of the anaesthesia, and was still unconscious. After the second hour of waiting, Jade had climbed gently up onto the bed next to her brother, and had fallen asleep as well.

Jake wanted nothing more then to do that himself, but he refused until he saw John wake up safely. The sun was just starting to set. Another full day gone. This will be the second night, that Mr. Strider's brother would be missing… two days and two nights. He hoped that the kid was alright, wherever he was.

He closed his eyes, and felt himself drifting off, before he snapped his head up again and shook it violently. The book had fallen to the floor, and be bent down to pick it up hurriedly. He went to sit down again, when someone caught his attention.

"Excuse me! Ma'am?" He called after her, quickly striding over to a woman just leaving the Emergency.

She turned around and looked at him, her eyes cold, she flipped her hair back, "What do you want?"

"Please pardon my rudeness," He said with a bow of his head, "But are you the young Mr. Strider's case worker?"

"I am his Social Worker, yes." She snapped.

"Oh my, you must be terribly worried." Jake frowned,

"Yes well," She said in a huff, "When we find him, I won't have to worry anymore will I?"

"I'm sorry?" He asked,

"The moment the police find Dave Strider, the boy will fall under the care of the Government." She almost looked smug as she talked, "Since Mr. Strider has proven incapable of controlling that boy."

Her words hit Jake right in the chest. He had only talked to Mr. Strider once, and he only seemed worried about Dave. He frowned, "Well, if there is anything I can do, please keep me informed."

"This does not concern you." She snapped, turning away from him and storming out.

Jake gasped. How rude! He turned around, and was walking back to where John and Jade slept, when Dr. Peixes walked in, still clenching her clipboard, but this time she looked much more tired then this afternoon.

"Mr. English?" She asked, "We're ready to move John up to his room. Some Nurses should be along shortly to help move him."

Jake sighed in relief, "Ok."

The next half an hour passed in a blur. Jake was too tired and his mind was too overloaded to take anything in. The Doctors were nice enough to let Jade stay asleep on the bed when they moved John, and the silly girl slept through the entire trip, and even when they got John settled back in the room, she was still asleep.

While the Nurses were settling John in, Jake decided to step out of the way and sat down next to Mr. Strider. One of the Nurses had upped the morphine pumping into the man's body after they realized he was still in pain after waking up, and he had fallen asleep after the Police and Social Worker had left. Jake watched his chest rise and fall gently as he slept. His entire body shivered, and he felt slightly nauseous - a familiar feeling that always came with lack of sleep. He wanted nothing more then to crawl into a bed himself…

"Dave?"

Jake startled awake again. He looked over and saw Mr. Strider's eyes slightly open, though his pupils were heavily dilated.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Jake smiled. Dirk looked at him, and a flash of recognition crossed his pale face. Jake reached over and pulled his blanket up to his chin, "Have a good rest?"

The two tried to converse, though Dirk was heavily drugged, and Jake was just plain tired. They shared some basic information about each other, started to try and get to know the other while they Nurses worked. Eventually though, it became evident that Dirk was slipping out again, and Jake let him sleep till the Nurses left, leaving John and Jade sleeping in the bed.

With a sigh, Jake pushed himself to his feet, and walked over to John's bed. He reached down and pushed a strand of John's dark hair out of his face.

The boy scrunched up his nose at the movement and slowly opened his eyes, "Dad?"

Jake shook his head and said softly, "Its me, John."

John looked up, and the moment their eyes met, John broke down into tears, "U-Uncle Jake? What are you doing here? Aren't you over in Britain?"

Jake smiled and leaned over to wipe some of the tears off his nephew's face, "I came as soon as I heard."

John automatically reached up and grabbed his hand, a fresh wave of tears forming.

Jake frowned and pulled a chair up to sit next to him, "Hey, hey, hey! None of that, mate! Your safe now. No one is going to hurt you anymore."

John squeezed Jake's hand, "T-that man… he… he killed…"

Jake reached over with his other hand and stroked the side of John's head, "I know. Its ok, I'm here now."

Jade twitched in her sleep, and John jumped. The way he jumped, even startled Jake! He gasped as he saw the way John flinched back from the pain of the movement. His blue eyes were wide and panicked, just by a simple movement… what the heck did this Noir person do to him?

He whimpered as Jake continued to stroke his hair, squeezing his eyes shut. He took a deep breathe, and looked up at Jake with those sad, defeated eyes, "What happened to him?"

"Him?" Jake asked,

"That red-eyed guy." John asked, "I know I didn't dream about him!"

Jake smiled, "I know chap! The police were able to identify him…but he's been M.I.A since he found you."

"Oh…" John sounded slightly depressed as he said that. He sighed and closed his eyes again, "What's going to happen to us now?"

"After you get out of the hospital, you'll come home with me." Jake promised, "I had the Help already set up a couple of rooms for you and your sister."

"Back in Britain?" John whispered,

"London." Jake nodded, "You'll like it there, I promise."

"Will I get to see that red-eyed guy before we go?" Jake could barely make out John's voice now, and it was clear the boy was slipping back into unconsciousness.

Jake sighed, "I promise, you get to say thank you before we go."

John did not respond, by the slow rise and fall of his chest, Jake knew that the boy had fallen asleep. Jake sighed in relief. After seeing the blue's of John's eyes, he could finally relax. Mr. Strider had woken up, and now John had made it through surgery in one piece. Everything that had happened within that short period washed over him, and he felt unbelievably tired. He pushed the chair back against the wall, John was still clinging tightly to his hand, which made the position a little awkward. He sighed and leaned back, letting his head rest against the wall, and was about to fall asleep, when he felt someone's hand rest on his shoulder. His eyes shot open again, blood-shot and tired. He looked over and saw an unfamiliar face.

"Hello? Mr. English?" A tall man asked. Dr. Peixes was standing behind him smiling from her clipboard.

"Ah!" He startled, settling back down in his chair, and pushing his glasses back up the rim of his nose, "Hello?"

"My name is Dr. Vrien." He said calmly, "I thought I would take this moment to talk to you about John and Jade."

Jake felt his stomach clench, "What about them?"

"Would you mind coming with me?" He stated.

Jake sighed. He took one last look at the two sleeping children, before gently pulling his hand free, and following the Doctor. Dr. Peixes stayed behind in the room. Jake refused to let himself think too hardly about what this new Doctor wanted.

The Doctor lead Jake to an office, and closed the door, pointing at a chair. Jake did not hesitate, and sat down in a chair sitting in front of a chair. The Doctor sat in a high-backed chair across from the desk.

"Is something wrong with the kids?" Jake asked,

The Doctor did not respond, he just dropped a large file folder on the desk with a sigh.

"I'm sorry ol' chap," Jake said wearily, "But I really don't have it in my for any shtick."

"Don't worry, Mr. English." He said, "I am here from Washington. I am John and Jade's family doctor. I came down as soon as I heard that John was found." Jake let out a sigh of relief, but the Doctor continued, "You are the beneficiary of Mr. Egbert's account, are you not?" Jake nodded, he seemed content with that response, and continued talking, "And the will states that if anything were to happen to Mr. Egbert, the children would fall under your care?"

"Yes." Jake nodded,

"I brought the necessary paperwork down from Washington, so you don't have to go up there for anything but sorting through the objects in the house." He promised, "I am sure the children would want their stuff."

"I have a crew of people ready to fly the children's stuff over the moment its cleared to leave the house." Jake promised, "The rest of the household stuff, will be donated."

The Doctor nodded, "Well, then - lets get this over with." He handed Jake some files, and Jake tiredly looked over them. While he did, the Doctor continued talking, "I also took the liberty of bringing Jade and John's files down for review. I received word from a Doctor in London who agreed to be their family doctor?"

"The same as mine." Jake nodded, still reading the documents.

"You know about Jade and John's conditions then?" He asked.

Jake nodded again. Looking up, and finally paying attention to the Doctor.

"Jade was diagnosed with Juvenile Schizophrenia, shortly after her mother passed away." The Doctor stated,

"But she hasn't had a large fit in years." Jake finished, "I do, good chap, keep in contact with my belated brother and his family."

"But," He continued, "Her psychosis still exists. She…"

"Believes that she goes to a magical golden world when she dreams." Jake finished, "A world where she can see the future."

"I see you are in the know." He smiled, "And John is, well he is an… easy target."

"He got bullied a lot." Jake finished, "I know. It was John and Jade's medical bills that got my brother killed."

The Doctor looked confused, but Jake offered no explanation. Of course he wasn't going to explain. For years, Jake had offered to help his brother get out of debt, but his brother refused to 'lean on his younger brother for help', and instead, when the banks would no longer give him loans, he turned to a Loan Shark - a gang leader by the name of none other than Jack Noir. It was Jack's unnaturally high interest rates that just got his brother deeper and deeper into debt, until it reached a point that everyone knew Mr. Egbert would never be able to pay it back… and Jack took his payment in the form of blood. Jake suddenly felt ill all over again. If only he had gotten over the whole 'respect your brother's wishes', and just came down to the USA sooner - he could have paid off the kids medical bills, and maybe his brother would still be alive…

"Both John and Jade were seeking therapy in Washington, and do to this added stress, I believe it would be a best bet if you wait a few weeks in town, and let them see a psychiatrist… we don't exactly know what Jack did to John yet. A psychiatrist may help with any mental damage, and we don't know if the stress from her father dying, and her brother getting kidnapped will set off another 'moment' for Jade."

Jake frowned, "I think Jade will be fine. She's a strong girl. And I promised John we would not leave until he got to say thank you do Dave for saving him."

The Doctor nodded and handed Jake more paperwork to fill out.

Jake sighed and reached for a pen. Might as well get to work… and then he had to call around… he had to find a place to stay… pay for a therapist for his niece and nephew, and then make funeral arrangements for his brother…

…It was going to be a long expensive week.

* * *

><p>== DIRK: Be Future Dirk<p>

* * *

><p>== AIR-HEAD: Be A Troll<p>

This chapter should have been called: 'JAKE: Be the distraction'

Lolwut? You want to know what happened to Dave? Really? No, of course you don't! You'd rather hear about my life story rather then learn what's going to happen to Dave *evil grin*

Please ignore any errors in this, I am writing, though my mind is off in the clouds…

There is very little plot-development in this chapter as I just realized… besides the bit about learning how Mr. Egbert got involved with Jack… and that the Social Worker for Dave is a complete bitch and puts a bad name to the system…

... ... ...

R.I.P Grandpa. We miss you…

I may be writing a one-shot for my Grandpa soon…he passed away yesterday morning from Alzheimer's. So I may write a one-shot about Jane and 'Grandpa John' or Jake and 'Grandma Jade'. Don't know yet… I know for a fact I will be doing a painting for him. Probably of a cherry tree or something. He was all about 'protecting the environment'…so yeah, don't know when I'll be starting that painting… I don't think it will delay my updates? I can write in between colours and coats drying… depending on how large I feel like painting this… don't be alarmed if my updates drop in volume for the next week!

…whoever said bad things come in threes, was a liar… this last month, I have had 4 or more bad things happen to me…WEEEEEEEEEEE! *loses mind and *OLLIES OUTIE INTO THE SUN*

* * *

><p>!esur a lla a si eltit eht. Derit dna tespu si eh esuaceb dnuora gnissem tsuj si eh dna, yltrohs evaD ot neppah lliw tahw ees ot teg lla uoy! Sdnim ruoy htiw gnissem si dna llort a si eh, daeh-ria ot netsil ton od lol<p>

^totally not a code for anything *shifty eyes*


	18. DIRK: Be Future Dirk

== DIRK: Be Future Dirk

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><p>The light hitting his eyes burned. It was the first time in a week that he had been outside.<p>

The last week was a blur, a morphine-induced blur. He was upset and angry and all he wanted to do was get out of here and go look for his brother… but he could not get out of bed. Heck, even now, being pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair, he had to fight to get there. It had been a week of hell and if Jake English had not been there for him, he was sure he would have gone insane.

Dirk twisted around in his chair, ignoring the shooting pain ripping up his sides to look at the man pushing him. Jake smiled down at him, with his usual goofy, toothy, smile.

"Don't strain yourself mate!" Jake laughed, "Last thing I want is to have to push you right back in there!"

"Fuck no." Dirk frowned, "There is no way in hell I ever want to go back."

Jade was skipping along in front of them, and Dirk turned around to keep an eye on the girl. He would be lying if he said he did not grow close to the English-Egbert family while he stayed at the hospital. John hobbled beside them on crutches, a large smile mimicking his uncles.

"Texas sure is hot!" John gaped, looking around. Dirk smiled. Of course a kid from Washington would not be use to the weather here.

"I like it!" Jade cheered, her face beaming with delight, "Uncle Jake! We have to do something fun while we're here!"

John's face lit up as well, "Yeah! Is there an amusement park or something?"

"John." Jake smiled, "You are in no condition for that."

Dirk smiled and closed his eyes. He had definitely grown accustomed to their banter. He had spent the last week getting to know them. He would talk to John after visiting hours ended, and got to know the kid. The more he got to know him, the more Dirk wished Dave would have made more friends like him, instead of those god-damn punks that hung off him. John and Jade both seemed like mild-mannered kids - well brought up. John usually had a witty comeback, and was not afraid of insulting someone, but he was also very friendly, and cheerful. Jade on the other hand, was just cheerful all around. She always had a smile on her face, and was always happy.

Jake was always there as well. Heck, the last week, Jake basically lived at the hospital. He would leave for brief periods of time, but always returned with something for John and for Dirk. He bought John a laptop, and brought Dirk is computer from home. Dirk had given him the keys to his apartment, saying Jake and Jade could stay there while John and himself were in the hospital - it was the least he can do for Jake… after the large hospital bill he was coughing up for him. He really did not want to think about it… the bill was probably in the thousands by now…which was why he did not worry about a near-stranger stay in his house without him. If Jake wanted to rob the place, that would be ok. It would make up for this large bill. That was also why when John was ready to leave, he insisted he was too. He basically forced himself out - with Jake's help. Apparently Jake had a lot of influence around the place. Dirk did not ask questions why, he just let Jake help him.

But now what? It had been nine days since Dave went missing, and no one had seen him. The Police were certain he had left the state by now… but why would he? Where would he go? Dirk wished that Dave had his cell on him so he could text him. Even if Dave did not want to come home, he could still help him…

Jake reached down and patted Dirk on the shoulder with a smile, "Better get you home ol' chap!"

"On the double." Dirk sighed.

What would he do without Jake? The guy was such a huge help. His new-friend had been more help then Dirk could ever repay.

"You know what?" Jake smiled, snapping him out of his thoughts again, "How about we stop by the café before we head home? I'm going to miss our daily caffeinated beverage trips!"

Dirk smiled, "Sounds like a plan."

Every day for the past week, Jake would come as soon as visiting hours opened, with two cups of coffee, and a hot chocolate for both Jade and John. Where the hell did this guy get this money from? The last thing Dirk wanted was his new… friend? Yes, his new friend to go into debt on his account.

Jake had been driving Dirk's car for the last week, and Dirk immediately recognized it in the parking lot, but Jake wheeled him right past it, and down to the street. Dirk knew exactly where they were heading, he had watched Jake walk this path every morning for the past week. It was different being down on the ground with him, instead of watching him from above though. Jake stopped at the crosswalk with a large grin.

"You'll have to show us around Houston when you feel up to it." Jake said, "Right kids?"

John was struggling a bit to keep up, as he was not used to the crutches he was using, but he still managed a huffed laugh and nod.

"Yay!" Jade cheered.

"We could go to the Space Center?" Dirk replied, looking at John. And just as he suspected, John's face lit up.

"Awesome!" He cheered,

"And the Zoo." He continued, looking at Jade.

Jade's large green eyes went even wider, and the smile on her face was like nothing he had ever seen before. She twirled around and ran over to him, gently throwing her arms around his shoulders, "Thank you! Thank you Uncle Dirk! Can we? Can we please go, Uncle Jake?"

Dirk fought back a blush as she called him 'Uncle'. Heck! He just met these kids a week ago, and she just called him uncle… He must has shown his surprise on his face, because Jake burst out laughing behind him. Jade still had her arms wrapped around him, and he sighed, pulling her over to sit on his lap.

It hurt, having her weight draped over his torn up and battered body, but she squealed and giggled. Man, maybe Dirk should have taken in a little girl instead of a boy. They seemed so much easier to please. He sighed through his nose. No, he knew he would never change anything about his life with Dave. He knew there was so many things messed up in their family, and he had made so many mistakes raising Dave - but he would not change it for the world. Though, maybe one day it would be nice to settle down with someone and adopt a little girl…

He was jostled out of his thoughts when the light changed, and the walk signal turned on, and Jake started pushing him across the street. Jade giggled and clung onto him as they moved. He could not help himself, whatever semblance of a 'poker face' he had, broke, and he wrapped his good arm behind her back to steady her as they crossed the four lanes of traffic to the other side of the street. Jake was moving slow, making sure John could keep the pace. Luckily, John seemed more preoccupied with his surroundings, then worrying on any pain.

Right across the street lay a small café. A nice elderly couple leaving it, held the door open for them, and Jake thanked them as he let John go in first, and then pushed Dirk in. The café on the other side was cramped, dark, and smelled heavily of coffee. Dirk instantly loved it. Jake pushed them up to a table, and moved one of the chairs away so he could push Dirk straight up to it, before going to get the coffee. Jade sat herself down right beside Dirk, and John gingerly sat down across from them.

"Its so hot outside!" Jade cheered,

Dirk smiled, "That's Texas for you."

"Uncle Dirk," She asked, looking up at him,

"Hmm?" He replied,

"Are we really going to that zoo?"

He burst out laughing.

Jake returned, holding a tray of four steaming cups. Dirk reached out and grabbed his with a grateful nod. Jake handed the kids their drinks, and sat down beside Dirk.

Dirk looked at Jake, he must have been giving the British boy a funny look, because Jake smiled at him, "A penny for your thoughts, mate?"

"I was just wondering what you guys were going to do now." Dirk asked,

Jake's expression fell. He looked at John, who was too preoccupied talking to his sister to pay attention. Jake sighed and turned his attention back to Dirk, "I honestly don't have any idea."

"You're staying in town for awhile, right?" Dirk did not catch the pleading tone until after he had finished talking.

Jake nodded, "The Doctor wants the kids to see a psychiatrist, and I promise you Dirk, we will not leave until Dave is safe at home."

Dirk looked down at his coffee, "Well, at least safe. I doubt he'll ever be allowed to come home after this."

Jake smiled and reached across the table. Dirk felt goose-bumps crawl up his arm as Jake gently placed his hand over top of Dirk's. A shiver went down Dirk's spine as he looked into those large, green eyes across from him. Jake ran his thumb gently over Dirk's hand in an affectionate, comforting way. And for some reason, Dirk did not feel anything strange from it. It felt nice. No one had been there to comfort him since his Bro died all those years ago. The way Jake was looking at him made Dirk almost want to break down…

Almost.

"We'll see what I can do about that." Jake said with a sly smile.

That shiver ran straight back up Dirk's spine. For some reason, he completely believed him.

Dirk tore his gaze away from him and took looked down at his coffee. Jake pulled his hand away, and Dirk immediately went and took a large gulp of it. He put it down, and unable to look up, asked, "Well then, where are you guys going to stay?"

Jake sighed and rested his chin on his hand, "Good question? Know any good hotels around here? The one I was staying at before you invited me to stay at your place was… less then respectable."

"Bullshit with that." Dirk snapped, "You can continue staying with me if you'd like."

Jake smiled, "The four of us in a one bedroom apartment?"

Dirk shrugged, "I'll get a cot."

"Already done." That sly smile was back over Jake's face, and Dirk could not help but return a genuine smile.

'We'll see what I can do about that'

Jake's words ran through his head.

He really hoped that what he said was true.

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><p>DAVE: Survive<p>

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><p>Look out for a separate-cutaway!<p> 


	19. DAVE: Survive

Due to a dare from my friend ( she said I could not write an M rated fic as hard as I tried, and when I said I could, she dared me to ), look out for a cut away about Dave's life in this last week. It will be separate, because hey, I don't want to pollute you, and its not 100% necessary to the story.

I warned you at the beginning this was sadstuck right? Still is!

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><p>DAVE: Survive<p>

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><p>Survive…<p>

He thought the word, and wondered what it meant. If it meant living, he was barely doing that, if it meant breathing, talking, walking, and normal bodily functions, then yes, he was definitely surviving.

Barely.

The wind was cold in the evening - even though it was still summer. Dave wished he had his stolen hoody with him. He had accidentally left his backpack, hoody, and that kid's cell in the semi-truck, and was long gone with that perverted trucker. He closed his eyes, huddled in a dark, dingy room of this low-class shelter, his back pressed hard against the cold stone wall. The air in here was damp, and it was clear that the staff was not going to put the heat on any time soon. The blankets on the bed were thin, worn down - and quite frankly, the state of the bed worried Dave to the point he would not sit on it, nevertheless sleep on it.

It had taken him days to find a shelter he could get in anyway. Some of them either hinted at, or out-right said they wanted to do a background check, and most requested for his name. Even though he was far away from Texas, he was still worried about getting caught. This one thankfully did not ask for a name or anything, just welcomed him in… though he knew they shouldn't.

He was dirty.

Last week… the thought still gave him nightmares. Whatever was left of his 'childhood innocence' had been shattered when that man took him. He was powerless to stop it… weak from stress and lack of sustenance, the man easily pulled him underneath him, and had his way with him. The pain was so horrible, he had passed out, and woke up again when the Trucker drove into a truck stop. He pulled Dave's broken, and bleeding ass into the restaurant and bought him a meal. Dave stayed only long enough to eat, and then told the Trucker to fuck off, and he would travel on foot the rest of the way.

Rest of the way to where? He was till trying to figure that out.

He tried in a few towns to get a job, but everyone told him he was too young. He ended up hitch-hiking most of the way, or sneaking on busses or trains, just going wherever the hell it would take him.

If he was grateful for one thing that horrible man did, it was tell him how the world worked, and give him an idea of what to expect. In the last short week, Dave learned a lot. He learned how powerful sex was, and how people would do anything for it. He learned he could use his body to get whatever he wanted - money, drugs, rides, food…

And tears.

Tears was nearly as powerful as sex. If he went up to someone, with a sob story, and crying, sometimes they'd slip him some money. It was never as much money as he got for 'favours', but it was enough to feed him for a night. Even better was when he sold his body. If the person felt a twang of guilt for anally fucking a thirteen year old boy, if they were getting too rough, and hurting him - if he started crying, they would lesson up. If they wanted to cause Dave pain, wanted him to suffer, wanted him to cry…then when he did cry, it would send them into an ecstasy, and they would finish shortly after.

He huddled closer to the wall, hugging his shivering frame tightly. Bro spent years teaching him that cool kids do not cry in front of others, but the last week, he had spent all his free time trying to teach himself to cry on command… it wasn't working very well. He couldn't help but chuckle at his failures…

…He was broken…dirty…disgusting.

He knew if there was a heaven up there somewhere, his brother was looking down at him with disgust… that same, disappointed frown he wore when he picked Dave up from the police station, or from the hospital…

Only a thousand times worse.

No, he could not go home. Not now, not after the things he did.

A newly familiar pang hit him in the gut, and he whimpered - Withdrawal. One of the bonuses of his new-found 'job' got him a lot of free drugs. Many 'customers' would give him some before they preformed some sort of sexual act. Ninety percent of the time, it was sopor, which Dave was grateful for. The first couple of days, he felt guilty whenever someone offered him sopor… after promising he'd never touch it again, but the pain that soared up from his backside, and the pain that resulted whenever a 'customer' beat him was too much. Sopor took the pain away, made him feel good… made him forget. He knew he was becoming an addict, he knew pretty soon he'll be like his friend Gamzee, and be willing to do ANYTHING in order to get a fix.

Damn, he wanted some sopor bad. His small frame trembled as he thought about it, thought about its calming effect…on how it was the only thing left that made him happy…

He shook his head violently. No need to think about that right now. A hiccup got stuck in his throat, and he heard it come out as a gargled sob. Embarrassed, he dropped his head into his knees. What now? He knew he needed a fix, and he needed money to get out of here… and the best bet for that would be to sell his body again to someone… but what after that? He would have to control himself this time, not waste all the money acquired on drugs… but to go where?

But he already knew the answer to that. He was inching closer and closer to New York. He secretly debated it for days… Find his birth mother. Heck, she probably did not even want him. That damn bitch left him at the side of the road to die…

But she was the last tie he had. If she still remembered him, maybe there was hope he would be welcomed there? Maybe she was just drunk when she left him there, and to this day was fighting with her grief about what happened to him?

Wishful thinking. But it was better then nothing.

Bro was dead… and he was too dirty to ever even think about going home.

The smell of booze and sopor suddenly filled the room. His stomach automatically twisted at it, and his subconscious started screaming, 'YOU NEED IT! GO GET IT!'

He raised his head and saw a large, stinking hobo stumble into the room, collapsing on the bed across from where he was curled up. He held a bag in one hand, the neck of a bottle sticking out, and a small, hand-held radio in the other.

"Hey." Dave said without thinking, "Got any sopor left?"

The homeless man twisted his head and looked at Dave through glossy eyes. He smiled, a mouth full of rotting and missing teeth. He held up the bag and shook it, Dave could hear the liquid slosh inside, and he immediately jumped for it, running over and reaching for it. The man pulled it away with a drunken laugh.

"You want this, poppet?" He said in a sing-song tone, "What'll you pay for it."

"Anything." Dave was not able to take his eyes off of it. He suddenly hated himself. The pain ran up his spine when he moved, and he wanted nothing more then to make it go away. His brain told him he needed it. Only the sopor would make the pain stop.

"Well, its just the two of us," He grinned, "Spend the night with ol' Daddy here, and maybe we can share?"

Dave frowned, now it was time to work his 'magic'. He sat down on the floor next to the bed, and batted his eyelashes. The old homeless man liked his lips as he leaned slightly towards Dave.

Dave's breath got caught in his throat, but he forced it out, trying to sound as seductive as he could, "If we have to share…" He paused, reaching up and running one of his hands down the man's tattered coat sleeve, "Can I have the radio too?"

It felt wrong. Everything about this felt wrong, and felt awkward. Every time he tried this, it was like an out-of-body experience. He felt like his mind separated from his body, and was hovering over them, screaming at Dave to run, but Dave's body would not move.

The man moaned and let his head snap back, "Y-Yes! Oh god yes you can!"

Dave smirked. Bingo.

… … …

You were disgusting.

Filthy

Whore

Dirty

You were a filthy, disgusting, dirty, hobo.

Dave opened his eyes. A single hanging light hung over his head. Where was he? Oh. That's right. He was at a bus station in Stanford, Kentucky, two days after he acquired the radio. He had finally hit it big. Instead of doing 'favours' for the homeless or poor like he had been doing, he worked up the courage to wait outside a bar, and met a business man stumbling out drunk. It had taken all of his courage to go up to this man and ask him if he 'needed company', and thankfully, he did. After spending the night with this strange man, Dave had enough money to finally buy a bus ticket straight to New York. No more hitch hiking, or stealing rides! He was euphoric about it!

Bro had told him that he had found Dave at the side of the highway, shortly past Rainbow Falls. If he could find that spot, maybe he could learn more about who his birth-mother was, and if she would take him back.

He also managed to stop by a dollar store near the bus station and he picked himself up a few things. A new bag, sure, it was cheap canvas, and barely held anything… but that was basically what he had. It held his radio, and that was about it. He also bough himself a new pair of shades. Yeah, they were cheap, and held nothing on his aviator's back home… but there was no way in hell he was ever going back to Texas…not even for them.

He was laying across four seats, his head propped up on his bag, and the little radio he um… 'bought', plugged into the wall. He had fallen asleep listening to the static-filled music pouring out of the old speakers. The music had stopped, and the news was on. He was going to ignore it, when he heard something that caught his attention…

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><p>BRO: Be Comforted<p>

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><p>Whelp, ok angry mob. I am ready for you to come and try to kill me now :o Just… please be gentle, and try not to mess up the face too badly XD<p> 


	20. BRO: Be Comforted

Warning…I'm a little tipsy…. Yeah. Drinking and writing, This is great!

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><p>BRO: Be Comforted<p>

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><p>The TV blared through the apartment… an apartment he barely recognized anymore.<p>

When Dirk got out of the hospital, he got home to find the place… completely cleaned up and organized. Jake said Jade did not like tripping over the wires, and the two were bored, so they tidied it up. The place looked semi-presentable now. Damn, if the place looked like this before the Social Worker had her way, maybe it would give Dirk a few more brownie points.

Unfortunately though, that time had come and gone.

It had been two days since he got out of the hospital, and all he had done was sit around his apartment, waiting for some news about Dave. Damn he wished there was some… anything. Anything at all just to prove that his kid-brother was still alive…

Jake had proven to be a very gracious house-guest… though he was not sure how long it will last. The end of the month was coming up, and he had not worked a day in two weeks. There was no way in hell he was making the rent…

He decided to worry about that when it comes. For now, he let Jake cook for him, clean for him, and baby him, while he moped around the apartment. The Police had no news for him. The last call he got from them was stating that Jack was last seen back up towards Washington… but could be anywhere by now. Nothing on Dave at all. It was like the kid disappeared off the face of the planet.

The smell of dinner washed through the small apartment. It was a smell Dirk was not used to. Home cooked meals? That was something this apartment had never seen! His own Bro never cooked for him, and because of that, Dirk never really learned how to cook either. But damn did whatever Jake and Jade were cooking smell delicious.

He looked over from the couch, Jade was the one mixing something in a bowl, looking back and asking her Uncle if it looked ok, and Jake just smiled and nodded. He looked a hell of a lot better now that his nephew and Dirk were out of the hospital. Those bags under his eyes were gone, and his face had a lot more colour to it. He could not help but find him more attractive now. The sun shone through the window, washing over the two in the kitchen, and the 'domestic setting' was strange, yet for some reason, a huge turn on. The thought that someone was in the kitchen, cooking him dinner, teaching the little one to cook…

He shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts. No, he had already proven he failed at 'typical household'.

"Dirk!" Jake called from the kitchen, "Its almost six o'clock. Can you throw the news on? I need to see the stocks."

Dirk rolled his eyes and changed the channel before stretching an arm out across the couch, moving one leg up to rest on the other. He never used to watch the news, but Jake had him put it on every night at six. Dirk did not mind, if the police were not going to give him any more information, maybe the news could.

'_Good evening and welcome to the Six O'Clock news! My name is…'_

Dirk watched a woman on the tv drone on and on, Jake finished putting the meat-loaf, or whatever he was making, in the oven, and walked away to sit down next to Dirk. Dirk smiled as the raven-haired man sat next to him. Jake did not seem to mind that he was leaning against Dirk's arm, and just watched the news intently.

Yeah… totally not a domestic setting.

He tried to ignore the fact that his arms was only inches away from being around Jake's shoulder's, and focused on the television. He cast a look back, and watched as Jade skipped off down the hall to join her brother in Dave's room.

Dave was going to be pissed when he came back and saw his room.

Jake had pulled a cot into the room, and had pushed it up against the wall, blocking off the closet. Most of the smaller stuff of Dave's was still with the Social Worker, as she refused to give them back, but the larger things, such as the turn tables were still there, and thankfully, neither John nor Jade seemed to interested in them. John just sat on Dave's bed, resting his back against the wall, and played a video game most of the time, and while Jade was always interested with whatever Dirk and Jake were doing, she often went and joined him, joining him on whatever game he was playing on her own laptop.

So for a brief moment, Jake and Dirk were alone. Jake seemed intent on watching the news, his green eyes glued to the screen. Dirk sighed inwardly, and turned back to the screen, the woman was passing off narration to the man next to her.

"_And we have more information on that fatal accident yesterday." _

"_That's right, yesterday afternoon, a semi-truck drove off the road, and down an embankment."_

Dirk felt Jake tense beside him.

"I heard about this." Jake stated.

"_The semi was pulling a large tanker of gasoline when it crashed, causing a large explosion, killing the two inside the cab. No others are reported injured. An autopsy was preformed this morning, and the results have been just released."_

The screen cut away to a balding man in a lab coat.

"_The position of the bodies inside the cab was…disturbing." _He stated, _"An older man was found in the driver seat, his seat-belt undone, and his pants around his knees, as well as a boy's body which was flung from the vehicle. The bodies were to badly burned to identify, but it appears the man's driver's license made it through. We are holding his information until the family is notified."_

"_And the boy?" _A reporter asked,

"_The boy is a mystery. The body was badly broken and burned past recognition as well. No finger-prints can be taken from the body, and a molar imprint came back clean. Judging by the remains though, the boy must have been anywhere between twelve to fourteen years old."_

"_Any more information you can give us about the crash?" _

"_It appears this accident may have been created by the driver being.. Distracted. The projection of the boy's body, along with the fact the man's pants were down suggest that the boy was performing oral on the driver, and the distraction caused him to veer off the cliff."_

"_Any more information you can give us about the boy?"_

"_While the body is burned past recognition, there are several key objects obtained from the cab that suggest this boy is a runaway. Rescuers were able to pull a school bag out of the cab, complete with a sleeping bag, hoody, and several snacks."_

"_Our intel tells us that there was a cell phone found in the pocket of the hoody?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Is it true that this cell phone may be connected to the Jack-Egbert case?"_

Dirk shot straight up, his orange eyes going wide. Jake placed a hand on Dirk's shoulder, but kept his eyes glued to the screen.

"_We cannot give any more information about that until next of kin is informed."_

Dirk jumped from the chair and pulled out his cell phone. His brain was racing a mile a minute.

"Dirk." Jake stated, "You don't know if that's John's phone… we don't even know if Dave still has John's phone, or abandoned it after he called 9-1-1."

"I'm just going to call and make sure." Dirk said with a firm tone of finality.

Jake nodded, he got off the couch to follow Dirk as he walked into the kitchen, when the call box started to ring. Dirk turned away. Who the hell was at the door at a time like this? They could wait. He was vaguely aware of Jake walking over to answer it.

The phone was wringing on the other side… one… two… click!

"Hello, Houston Police station, may I ask your reason to call?"

"Hello, its Dirk Strider calling." Dirk replied,

"Oh, Hello Mr. Strider." She sounded slightly annoyed, "No, we have collected no more information about Dave's location."

"Not by the bullshit I just saw on the news." Dirk snapped, "According to the news, you found John's cell phone. Is that true?"

She instantly put him on hold, and Dirk called out in rage. He turned around and saw Jake slip from the apartment, and out into the hall - probably greeting whoever called their apartment. After a few minutes, there was a click, and Dirk sighed as he heard himself go off of hold.

"This is Officer Yvette. I hear you are inquiring about John Egbert's cell phone?" A different voice greeted him.

"Yes." Dirk sighed, "Is there any information you can give me… please?"

The Officer sighed, "Well, the phone itself was toast, completely fried in the fire, but the SIM card inside came out fine. We pulled it out and analyzed it, and yes, we were able to determine that it is indeed, John's cell phone."

Dirk felt his heart skip a beat, "Dave was last heard having the phone…"

"Mr. Strider," The Officer said, his tone taking on an apathetic pitch, "The body of the boy recovered from the wreckage not only matches the age and gender of Dave, but the phone was also found on him. There is no reason to jump to conclusions as of yet, but once the body is released to us, we would like you to come down to the police station.""You think the body is Dave." Dirk's tongue felt heavy and thick in his own mouth.

"It is highly likely that it is. Everything matches up to him." The Officer said, "I am sorry for your loss."

Dirk did not know if they really thought it was Dave, or if the cops were just sick and tired of looking for the boy, and since this body was unidentified, wanted to pass it off as him… but that could just be wishful thinking.

"Thank you." Dirk muttered, "Keep me in touch."

"We will." And with that, the officer hung up.

Dirk hung up the phone as well, and turned around, just as Jake re-entered the apartment, leading in an older man, woman and a girl he immediately recognized as Terezi Pyrope. Terezi was clenching a newspaper tightly in her hands.

"Mr. Strider…" She cried, fresh tears flowing down her face.

Dirk's eyes fell to the paper. The front page was of the paramedics carrying two bodies off in a body bag, and a shot of the objects pulled from the car. The backpack was clear on the front. He could not find any words to say, so he remained silent.

"We don't know if it really is Dave." Jake warned.

Terezi took a deep breath, "Mr. Strider… that bag…"

Dirk's eyes fell once again on the picture of the bag on the newspaper.

"The day Dave disappeared…" She cried, "Someone raided our Club House… someone stole this same backpack, and Gamzee's hoody…as well as the sleeping bag we had there… everything that was in the picture… it was taken from our secret Club house…"

_The day Dave disappeared…_

A body… between twelve and fourteen… with John's cell phone, Gamzee's hoody, and the stolen backpack…

Dave…

Dirk suddenly felt weak in the knees. He turned away from the guests, and collapsed on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, and his head cradled in his hands. Jake ran towards him, flopping down on the couch beside him, and throwing his arms around his shoulders. Dirk leaned into Jake's arms, and let out an unconscious sob. No… he couldn't break down… not now. He struggled to compose himself, but did nothing to push Jake away. He let his new friend hold him close. Jake rubbed his back gently, while looking at the Pyrope's.

"Terezi had to come and tell you." Mrs. Pyrope stated,

"No. Thank you." Dirk said, trying not to fumble over his words, "Thank you…"

Terezi's arms shook violently as she put the paper down on the cinder-block coffee table. A fresh wave of tears gushed down her face.

"You were a friend of Dave's?" Jake asked.

'were a friend' Dirk sucked in a deep breath through clenched teeth, still hiding his face in his hands.

"Y-Yes." Terezi nodded.

"They've known each other since elementary school." Mr. Pyrope nodded.

Jake looked down at Dirk, before looking back up at the Pyropes, "Would you guys mind to watch John and Jade for the night?"

"It would be our pleasure." Mrs. Pyrope nodded.

Dirk looked up, he had not noticed the Egbert kids had walked into the living room as well. Jade was visibly in tears, and John looked shocked.

"Dave is… dead?" John asked,

"No! No! No!" Jade cried, she ran over and flung her arms around Dirk, sobbing loudly into his chest.

Numbly, Dirk wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on the top of her head. John hobbled over on his crutches and stood next to Jake, his eyes watering up.

"We don't know that for sure!" Jake repeated, the pitch of his voice rising, "We don't know. No need to jump to conclusions…"

But why wasn't there? Everything pointed to Dave. Dave was believed to be in possession of the stolen bag, and everything that was in the picture…

"Come children," Mrs. Pyrope stated, "Let's let your parents have some time alone."

Jade hiccupped into Dirk's chest, but when John walked up to her, she allowed him to pull her away. Jake was still rubbing Dirk's back. He looked up at the Pyrope's, "I'll come by tomorrow to pick you up."

"Will we be leaving tomorrow?" Jade asked.

Jake shook his head, "No, not yet."

Thank you… Dirk wanted to say it so badly, but the words would not come to his mind. Jake just wrapped his arms around him again, and held him close. Dirk suddenly became terrified of the thought of Jake and the kids leaving.

He would be alone.

With Dave joining his big Bro in heaven… Dirk was alone.

The words hit him hard, and he felt a sickly feeling in his chest, and moved to rest his head on Jake's shoulders, as the Pyrope's left, taking John and Jade with them.

As soon as the door closed, Dirk felt Jake pull away from him, and Dirk leaned up reluctantly. Where the hell was he going? But seconds later Jake returned with two bottles of beer from the fridge, and flicked them open, before handing Dirk one. He sighed and chugged from the bottle, feeling Jake stare at him the entire time.

Finally, he put the bottle down and looked at Jake. The look of sympathy and caring on his face was too much… Dirk broke down. He had not cried since his Bro died, and the feeling felt odd and unfamiliar - but it also helped him feel slightly better. Jake put down his own bottle, and opened his arms in an open hug, and Dirk was on him in seconds. He jumped at the dark haired man, and pushed him back on the couch, his arms wrapped tightly around him, and cried into his chest. Jake just shushed him, and stroked his hair. It felt weird, the comforting motion was unknown to him, and he wanted more of it. He hugged Jake closer to his body, feeling the beer he just chugged slosh around in his stomach.

Jake bent his head down and kissed Dirk on the forehead, before pulling away. Dirk made a noise in protest, but Jake just shooshed him again, and took a gulp from his own beer, before getting up and going back to the kitchen. Dirk turned around on the couch as Jake pulled out the meat loaf, and a few minutes later, returned to the living room with two plates, and another beer for Dirk.

Dirk looked at the food, and then back at Jake. It was too much… he did not deserve this. He was an awful father to Dave… and his failure had gotten his kid-brother killed. He did not deserves someone as nice as Jake doting over him…

Jake broke him from his thoughts when he shoved a forkful of meat loaf into Dirk's mouth. Dirk gasped, like all of the rest of the meals Jake and Jade had made, it was like heaven on a plate. He ate the piece, and before he could think of anything else, Jake shovelled another forkful of food into his mouth.

Dirk couldn't help but crack a smile as Jake held yet another forkful up, before Dirk had even finished chewing.

"Your such an idiot." Dirk's voice came out almost like a cry, and cracked when he talked. He accepted the fork and looked at Jake, "I really don't deserve this."

Jake responded by shovelling another forkful in his mouth.

He looked over at his green-eyed house guest, who just smiled in return. And Dirk went and took another swig of beer. He couldn't help but think that if this had never happened, then he would have never met Jake. Dave may be gone… but maybe he left something behind in his wake?

Whatever the case, Jake was a godsend.

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><p>JOHN: Meet The Gang<p>

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><p>Nope! No learning about Dave, not on my watch! *insert troll-face here* Holy heck am I hung over… broke up with my gf… found out she was using me for my money… and got so shit-faced for it… and now I am paying for it. Heart-break and hangovers don't mix children! Oh well! Good riddance to her! Humph!<p>

Wow… two chapters in a single night… I am on a roll!

We are getting near the end already? Wow! Half of the way through...how time flies. Yes, I thought through this entire story a long time ago. Things are really about to 'heat up' in the second half!


	21. JOHN: Meet The Gang

Honeyleaf, yes, indeed I am a guy. A straight male…and I am probably the only guy who reads and writes Fanfiction, why? Because as an author, I know fan fics get an author's name out there, they give the writer practice - they are also fun to read :D I honestly wish I knew about fan fics before I wrote my first novel.

Everyone else, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS! It always makes my day, and makes me smile with delight whenever I get one! The reviews keep me motivated to update asap all the time! Thank you so much! You are all awesome!

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><p>JOHN: Meet the Gang<p>

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><p>He really did not know what to expect. From what Dirk had told him while the two were in the hospital, the Pyrope household was the last place Dave was seen alive. It was also the place Jack Noir was going to drop John off, and have him 'dealt with'. Meaning, these were the people Jack trusted enough to kill him… and here he was walking straight into their living room.<p>

The girl leading them into the living room seemed nice enough, when she wasn't blubbering through her tears. John did not blame her, apparently, Dave and Terezi were very close friends. What kind of people where they though?

_While the body is burned past recognition, there are several key objects obtained from the cab that suggest this boy is a runaway. Rescuers were able to pull a school bag out of the cab, complete with a sleeping bag, hoody, and several snacks."_

"_Our intel tells us that there was a cell phone found in the pocket of the hoody?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Is it true that this cell phone may be connected to the Jack-Egbert case?"_

"_We cannot give any more information about that until next of kin is informed."_

John could hear the news as he walked into the living room. There was several kids sitting around a small radio, listening to the news come out of it.

A short kid with shaggy black hair raised his head and looked at them. He was the first to see them there, but did not move. Terezi abandoned their side, and walked over to him. He looked troubled.

"Do you really think that was Dave?" A woman with long black hair whispered,

"Who else could it be?" A guy with multicoloured glasses replied quietly.

"Do you honestly think Dave would to that?" Terezi snapped, looking at all them, "This is Dave we're talking about! That boy was found dead…giving that trucker a blow job!"

All eyes fell on them.

"Its been over a week Terezi." The multicoloured-glasses guy stated, "If Dave was still alive, he'd need to get money somehow to survive…"

"But stoop down to that?" The long haired girl whispered, "I mean, Dave would at least have the decency to ask the trucker to pull over… right?"

"Just… shut the fuck up. All of you." The shaggy-hair guy snapped, turning to look at John and Jade, "Who the hell are they?"

Terezi looked back at John and Jade, "I'm sorry… I should introduce you."

Suddenly all eyes were on them. John suddenly felt uncomfortable, and shifted his weight on his crutches.

Terezi got up and walked back over to him. She pointed at the shaggy-haired guy she was just standing next to, "That is our fearless leader, Karkat." Karkat made a noise, somewhere between a sigh and a gruff.

She pointed at the guy stationed next to him, a tall kid with a spaced out face, "That is Gamzee."

Gamzee waved, "Yo man, what's motherfucking shaking?"

John gave the creepy kid a half-wave.

She then pointed at the two kids sitting on the couch, "Those two are Sollux and Feferi."

Sollux did not move, he did not even look up from the radio as the news continued to drone on. He reached forward and flicked it off.

Feferi waved enthusiastically, "Hi! I'm Fef! But I guess you just found that out… oh! And my Mom was your doctor! Isn't that cool?"

John just nodded.

"And last but not least," Terezi finished, "Over there is Vriska."

John's eyes fell on a girl leaning against the wall. Her hair was covering her face, and her arms were folded over her chest. John swallowed and suddenly felt even more nervous. She was easily the most beautiful person in the room.

She pushed herself off the wall, "What does it fucking matter?" She sounded upset, "Dave is fucking dead! Ok? Dead! Why are we even here?"

"That is EXACTLY why I called us all here, you fat fuck." Karkat snapped, glaring at her.

John wanted to yell at Karkat that she wasn't fat, but kept his mouth shut.

Vriska growled, "Oh yeah, our bold and fearless leader. What ever is so important to call us all here in our time of grief?"

Karkat ripped his eyes away from her, and looked down at the ground, "Because it's over. I'm disbanding the gang."

There was a chorus of gasps.

"What?" Feferi and Terezi gasped nearly in unison.

"Do you need to clean out your fucking ears?" Karkat yelled, "We're DONE! Over! As of this moment, the gang is disbanded, you can all go fucking home. My last orders as your leader is forbiddening you from EVER going back to the Club house. Wait, you know what? I would be fucking glad if I never saw any of you again."

"Karkat…" Terezi whispered.

She moved again from John's side, and walked over towards him, but he shrugged her off and stormed past her, shoving past John and standing by the exit, "You all heard what Jack wanted." He looked over at John, his eyes narrowing, "The only fucking reason Jack came here, was because he wanted us to perform the duties of a regular gang. He wanted us to off this bloke." He pointed at him as he said that, "So before anyone else gets any funny ideas, this gang is disbanded. We're done. No more drug runs, no more group meetings, no more ANYTHING!"

He turned and stormed out without another word.

"I'm sorry about this." Terezi cried, before running out after him.

Sollux stood up, grabbing the radio as he did so, "Come on Fef."

"But…" Feferi whined, "It can't be… we can't disband! We're all friends right?"

Sollux did not reply, he just grabbed her hand, and pushed past John and Jade towards the exit.

Gamzee just sank deeper into his chair with a sigh. And John turned once again back to the beautiful dark haired girl against the wall. Her arms were no longer folded, but were draped at her sides, her hands balled into fists.

"This is all my fault." She muttered, before turning and running from the room, and down an adjacent hallway.

Without another thought, John shifted his overnight bag on his back, and limped after her. Jade stood there, apparently letting him go by himself. She moved over and sat on one of the chairs as John left the room.

The hallway Vriska ran down as not very long, and only had three doors in it. One of the doors was slightly open, and John pushed it all the way, looking in. It was some sort of entertainment room, a large TV was attached to the wall, and there was a long, fluffy leather couch, a matching love seat, and a matching chair nestled in front of it. Vriska had collapsed on the couch, her head buried in a pillow.

"Um… excuse me?" John asked, closing the door behind him.

"Go away." She snapped, not even raising her head.

John ignored her and sat down next to her on the couch, rubbing her back. She let out a long hiss through clenched teeth, before leaning up and looking at him. John was mesmerized by her large blue eyes, but wished they did not look so sad…

"So…" She sniffled, wiping her face with her arm, "You're the kid Dave saved, huh?"

"Yeah." John nodded, "Your Vriska, right?"

"Yeah…" She said softly.

"Why do you think this is all your fault?" He asked, still rubbing her back,

"You heard that huh? I don't fucking know." She snapped, looking away. For a moment, John did not think she was going to continue, before she sighed, and her shoulders went slack. She looked up at the large tv, "Because…I was the one who got Dave so worked up before he ran away."

"What?" John asked.

Vriska broke down into a wave of tears, and hid her face in her hands, "I was only teasing! I didn't mean to hurt him or anything… w-we were drinking… and I was making fun of him. I was making fun of him because he was going to be taken away, and scared him so bad, he ran away…"

"That's not your fault, Vriska." John promised, giving her a half hug, awkward on this angle,

"Yes it is!" She snapped, "If I was not such a bitch, and realized how much it bothered him… then he never would have ran out, his Bro would have never been hit by Jack, and he never would have ran away."

"But then I would be dead." John stated.

She paused and looked at John. He smiled weakly, and wiped her tears away with his sleeve, "So, I guess even though Dave is gone, I have you to thank for saving my life."

"What?" She asked,

"If Dave had not ran away… I would have died." John promised, "So… I guess if you think about it that way, I have you to thank for saving my life."

"You're weird." She said, but a small smile stretched across her face.

"Yeah." John nodded, "But I'm not the one wearing blue extensions in my hair, or have blue make up running down my face."

Vriska gasped, "Do I really have make up running down my face?"

John laughed and wiped her cheeks with his sleeve again, "Not any more."

Vriska blushed and looked away from him, "Um… yeah. Thank you." They remained quiet for a moment, and John was just starting to feel awkward, when she spoke up again, "So… I hear your new Dad is loaded."

"My Uncle?" John replied,

"Yes." She nodded,

"I guess." John shrugged, "He owns a couple different companies."

"Like?" She asked,

"Um…" He had to think about it for a second, "He owns Harley Electronics, and Lord Guns and Ammo."

"Those two companies have nothing in common." She laughed.

"Well, it was my grandparents that left Harley Electronics to Uncle Jake… because Dad was more into baking then business… and he founded Lord Guns and Ammo out of a hobby of his."

"So he really is loaded." Vriska whispered. She looked at John again, "You never told me your name?"

"Its John." He stated,

"John…" She repeated.

The two of them sat there for a moment, just staring at each other. Finally, John swallowed and stood up, "H-How about we watch a movie?"

She blinked, apparently startled, "A movie?"

John could feel his face heat up, and knew he was blushing. Good thing the room was dark. Seeing her staring at him like that was more then a little arousing. He gulped and pulled his laptop out of his bag, walking up to the TV and attaching the laptop to it. The screen flicked on, showing his desktop.

"Y-Yeah." He said, "This one is my favourite. I know you'll like it, Vriska."

She tilted her head, a curious smile across her face, "Will I?" Her tone was more sarcastic then anything, but he ignored it.

He opened his video folder, and started a movie, before turning around and sitting back on the couch next to her, "It's called Con Air. It's my favourite!"

"Never heard of it." She mumbled.

As the opening credits started, she shuffled closer to him, so close their hips connected.

"You know…" She said softly, "This is the first time I've been alone with a guy, without him automatically trying to jump me."

John felt himself blush harder, "J-Jump you?"

"Have sex with me." She said, she turned to look at him, "You know, John, you could put your arm around me… a girl like's to feel comforted in times like this."

John's face felt like it was on fire, it was so hot. He wished he could see how red it was, but at the same time, he didn't. He slowly wrapped his trembling arm around Vriska's shoulders, and she snuggled into his side.

He felt drained, and even though this movie was his favourite, he had seen it so much that when exhaustion started to over take him, he found himself paying less and less attention to it, but Vriska on the other hand, had her eyes glued to the screen. She snuggled closer to him, her legs coming up till she was nearly sitting on his lap, her head nuzzled into the crook of his neck, as she watched it. John struggled to keep his breathing normal. She was enjoying it… this gorgeous girl was snuggling up to him, enjoying Con Air… it was a dream come true!

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><p>JOHN: Continue Being John<p>

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><p>An AU where Vriska is a gold-digger… who knew?<p> 


	22. JOHN: Continue Being John

JOHN: Continue Being John

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><p>You can't be John, because your too busy being Dave. A shocked, startled, gaping Dave, sitting on a bench at a bus station, waiting to board a bus, listening to the radio.<p>

_While the body is burned past recognition, there are several key objects obtained from the cab that suggest this boy is a runaway. Rescuers were able to pull a school bag out of the cab, complete with a sleeping bag, hoody, and several snacks."_

"_Our intel tells us that there was a cell phone found in the pocket of the hoody?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Is it true that this cell phone may be connected to the Jack-Egbert case?"_

"_We cannot give any more information about that until next of kin is informed."_

That backpack… he left it in the cab of that semi where…where that asshole stole his innocence. He had been in such a hurry to get away from that pervert, he had just booked it from the restaurant… and to his knowledge, his backpack was still with that guy, along with his hoody and John's cell phone.

Was that really his stolen bag?

A grin crept across Dave's face. That horrible man, the one who destroyed his innocence, and made him 'dirty', was dead. His smile quickly disappeared though as the radio broadcast ran through his mind. A child around Dave's age was in the car with him. That means, an innocent boy died because of that pervert. A boy that could have been him, if he had agreed to take the entire trip with the man. His stomach churned. Poor kid… that asshole not only took his innocence, but got another child killed.

_Bus 413; From Stanford, Kentucky to Rainbow Falls, New York is now boarding. Please have your tickets ready at gate number three._

Dave looked up. Bro had stated that he found Dave outside of Rainbow Falls, New York. He sat up and unplugged the radio, shoving it back in his cheap bag, before heading to where a couple people were lining up for the bus.

This would be the first time Dave had ever been on this kind of bus before… he had been on a city bus several times, but not a charter bus. He stood in the line up, and waited in line.

The Ticket Collector, or whatever they were called - Dave never had the chance before to learn what they were called - raised an eyebrow at him, "Aren't you a little young to be riding the bus by yourself, kid?"

"Visiting grandparents." He lied.

"Ah." He mumbled, taking Dave's ticket.

Dave wasted no time, he quickly jumped onto the bus, and took his seat. It felt like forever as the other passengers boarded, and by the time the bus actually started to move, Dave felt a craving coming on. He swore and snuggled down into his seat. He would have to stop at the next stop and find a way to get some Sopor.

Halfway to the next town, the pain in his backside flared up. He sat uncomfortably in his chair, wondering if the pain down there was psychosomatic as part of the withdrawal symptoms, or if it actually still hurt down there. By the time they reached the next city, Dave felt like he was in agony. He could not sit still. He NEEDED his fix - now. Sopor was the only thing that made the pain go away…

As he got off the bus, the Driver said they would be staying at the station for an hour, before leaving, and Dave knew it was now or never. He knew exactly what kind of person to look for by now, and immediately went up to him.

"Hey Kid. Awful young to be travelling alone aren't cha?" He wheezed.

"Do you have any Sopor?" Dave asked, too desperate to beat around the bush. Dumb question though, he could smell it all over this man, and it was driving him crazy.

"You have any money?" The guy huffed.

Dave gave him the most seductive look he could, walking up and basically grinding against him, "Would you prefer money, or me?"

"W-what?" The Drug Dealer asked,

"There is a handicap washroom in the Bus Station." Dave whispered as sexily as he could muster. He was having another out-of-body experience. His brain shut itself off whenever he did this. Maybe it was a self defence mechanism? Keeping him sane? He fought to get the words out of his mouth, "I can give you something even better then money."

Dirty…

Filthy…

Disgusting…

Dave held onto the sink for support, chugging on a bottle of Sopor, as the Drug Dealer penetrated him from behind. He no longer felt any pain. He screamed out in pleasure as the man hit his prostate. The Sopor sloshing around in his stomach. He could see his reflection in the mirror above the sink, and he did not even recognize himself anymore. A week of barely eating had started to take its toll on him. He was getting thinner, his clothes were dirty and grungy and torn in places from where people purposely tore them. His cheeks were starting to hallow out, casting dark shadows down his face. The dollar-store shades on his eyes were not as dark as his aviators, and he could see his eyes through them - tired and broken. Deep and dark bags rested underneath them, almost making him look like he had two black eyes… and heck… maybe he even did. He closed his eyes, letting out a loud cry, a mix of pleasure and pain… hatred and self-pity…

The next thing he knew, he was throwing up, face first into the sink, his knees colliding with the floor, as the bathroom door swung open, and then shut again. At least the Drug Dealer left him another bottle of that sweet elixir sitting next to him. His head was spinning, and he threw up in the sink a few more times before picking himself off the floor, and pulling his pants up, hiding the bottle of Sopor in his backpack, before re-boarding the bus.

As he sat in the seat in a stoned daze, he could almost see Bro up in heaven, shaking his head in disgust at him. Dave flipped the bird at the ceiling, pretending he was flipping off his brother.

"Don't look at me." He cried, burying his face in his backpack. Several people on the bus turned and looked at him, but quickly looked away.

Dave cried loudly into his backpack. He would not blame his brother for judging him. A shudder went down his spine. No, his brother had every right up there to hate him.

… … …

Why did he come here?

Dave had walked up and down the road from the Motel to the Rainbow Falls Campground three times now. He was exhausted. Without thinking, he sat down on the side of the road.

Bro had no idea where he came from, or who he was when he found him. All he knew is that he found him as a baby at the side of the road. He could have come from anywhere. That damned bitch, whoever she was, didn't want him to the point she abandoned him.

He did not realize he had started crying. He just sat there in the dirt, crying his eyes out like he was some sort of baby. God he wished that was true right now. A baby, safe in its parents arms…

Damn? What the fuck was he thinking? Was he starting to lose his mind? It had only been two fucking weeks since he ran away, and he was already losing it?

He wanted to slap himself for his stupidity, but could not muster the energy. He just remained sitting on the side of the road until a car started to approach.

He stood up and held his thumb out, hitch-hiking was easy, and some of the time, whoever picked him up, did not ask for anything in return if he just asked them to let him off wherever they were going.

To his luck, it was a family in a jeep on their way back from swimming at a camp ground nearby. They stopped and picked him up, agreeing to take him back to the city. They drove him right into New York City, where they let him off at the side of the road, and he was alone again. Clenching his backpack tightly, he wondered what the hell he was going to do now?

Absentmindedly, he headed straight for the nearest shelter, but they wanted his name. This time, he was too exhausted to turn away, and gave them a fake name, they did not ask questions about it this time, and accepted him in. He collapsed on the bed.

What now?

Where would he go? Mentally, he knew he was not going to leave New York… only because he knew that there was a huge possibility he still had family here. He could search for them? But did he want them to find him?

After what he has done? After how low he was willing to stoop for his fix? No… he did not deserve to find them. He would only burden them. He could work the streets? New York was a big enough city… he could find lots of clients. He was still too young to be legally hired by anyone… he could work the streets until he turned sixteen… that was only three years from now… then get a real job… He could live out of shelters when not spending the night with someone, until he was old enough to rent an apartment. How old did you have to be to rent a place? Maybe someone would be nice enough to rent him a room at a young age? Maybe they would be sympathetic to the fact he was now an orphan?

Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe. That was all that ran through Dave's dead. He rolled over. He had no idea what to do, and every bone in his body begged to go back home. All he wanted was to be safe in his bed, and have his Bro get him up in the morning like he used to… by throwing one of those damn Smuppets at his face. He missed all of Bro's crazy antics… how they would strife on the roof, or Bro's sneak attacks on him… Bro was always an eccentric goof… he did not realize how much he missed him until he was gone. Dave's hands balled into fists around the blankets.

'I want to go home' was all he could think, as he squeezed his eyes shut, feeling himself squeeze out another tear.

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><p>JADE: Wake Up<p>

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><p>I was laughing, because I can't believe how many people either missed that bit about Dave leaving the bag in the truck, or forgot about it XD I was reading reviews, and laughed so hard I spilt steaming hot coffee on my pants I completely deserved it. ( Reread the 4th paragraph of chapter 19 )<p>

It makes my day, and I can't help but grin every single time I get a review! Thank you all so much!


	23. JADE: Wake Up

JADE: Wake Up

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><p>"I'll miss you kid." Dirk whispered, giving Jade a big hug.<p>

Jade felt her eyes water up as she hugged him back, "I'll miss you too, Uncle Dirk."

"You'll call, right?" John asked,

"Everyday." Dirk nodded, releasing Jade and standing up.

The wind was cold as they stood at the airport, wrapped in their winter wear. A light dusting of snow fell over them. She stepped back from the older man, and stood next to her brother, feeling her tears freeze on her eyelashes.

Jake dropped his luggage and walked over and threw his arms around Dirk, hugging him tight, "This was the best year of my life… for the most part." He pulled away to look at Dirk's face, "I'll miss you."

"Yeah. Me too." Dirk frowned, cupping Jake's face,

Jake's eyes watered up as well, "Dirk… come with us!"

"What?" Dirk asked,

"Come with us!" Jake repeated, "I have tones of room at my mansion, and we can easily fly all your stuff from your apartment over… and I can easily get you duel citizenship! Please Dirk! Come with us!"

"Jake… I don't know." Dirk muttered, looking away, "Both my Bro's and Dave's graves are here…"

Jade frowned at the exchange. It had been a year since that boy's body was released to them. Jake paid for everything again, the entire funeral. He even paid for Dirk's rent when Dirk couldn't. During this time, Dirk was useless. He had kind of wandered around the apartment in a stupor for months, picking something up, putting it back down, and going back to wondering around.

She wasn't quite sure what had happened the night John and her spent at the Pyropes, but after that, Jake and Dirk seemed closer. Every time Dirk looked lost, he would eventually find his way to Jake, and then he'd just wrap his arms around the smaller man. Sometimes Jake would go up to Dirk when Dirk was 'out of it', and snap him back to earth. As time went on, it grew more apparent on how heavy Dirk was leaning on Jake as the months passed. Five months later, Jake asked Dirk if they could adopt a puppy for the kids, and Dirk agreed. Even though the apartment did not allow animals, it was clear that neither of them cared.

At this point, Jade and John had gotten sick of the small apartment anyway, but they stayed for Dirk and John's sake. During this year, John started to get closer to Vriska, and a few months ago, the two even started dating. But when Vriska wasn't around, John seemed to slip down memory lane. He woke up several times during the night with nightmares, and Jade would pretend to be asleep as he would immediately start texting Vriska as soon as waking up. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do - watch two people she cared about suffer so badly.

The puppy was a nice distraction. He was a pure white husky. Dirk and Jake had went and picked it up while John and Jade were at school, and they came home to see a white bundle of fur running towards them. They said that they could name it, and John passed the naming over to her, and she happily named the puppy Bec.

Jade wrapped her arms tighter around herself as a chill went down her spine. That dog was now a year old… and was coming with them to London…

Dirk would be alone…

"Dirk… they wouldn't want you to tie yourself here." Jake frowned, wrapping his arms around Dirk again, "They would want you to be happy."

"I know." Dirk whispered,

"I don't want to leave you." Jake muttered,

"I know." He repeated.

"There is a café down the street from our house… they have live shows. I bet we can arrange you to get a job there?" Jake asked, "Then you don't have to travel for work anymore. You can stay home."

"What about the Egbert's house?" Dirk asked, it sounded random, but Jade knew it was a good question.

Jake smiled, "We're going to rent it out. I talked to the kids about it. I asked them if they wanted to sell it, and put the money away for school, or rent it out. All the money coming in from the rent of the house goes straight to them."

"Good idea." Dirk replied. He paused for a second, "Ok! Let's do this. Let's make this happen."

"You're coming?" Jake's face lit up,

"Yeah." Dirk nodded, "Let's get our move on."

Jade cheered, she turned around, "Ok! Let's go!"

But she stopped. Behind her was no longer the airport, but a large golden castle. She gasped and whirled back to her family, "You guys see this?" But to her dismay, they were gone.

She was on Prospit.

After the first couple of seconds of freaking out, she told herself that it was all a dream. She sighed and started off down the golden streets. Her winter-wear had changed to golden pyjamas, and sparkling, golden ballet-slippers. She walked down the street with a smile.

It had been a long time since she was last on Prospit - years in fact! The last time she was still at the apartment, and it was shortly after 'Dave's Funeral'. She had woken up that night on Prospit - a white carapace-knight was shaking her awake, telling her that the Prophet needed to talk to her.

The first couple of times, she ignored the knight's orders, but after four nights straight of the knight waking her up and telling her to see the Prophet, she finally did. The Prophet was an older White-Carapace creature with a long white beard. He told her there was someone she needed to meet - a boy, a Derse boy.

The thought of visiting Derse was disturbing to her. While Prospit was the World of Dreams, Derse was the World of Nightmares. She was lucky enough to know about the Dream Worlds - though no one else believed her - and had been visiting them since she as a child. The doctors called her Schizophrenic, but she knew better. Prospit and Derse were real! They just were not lucky enough to come here.

After a week of pestering, Jade had finally gave in, and gone to Derse… and she immediately wished she had listened sooner. The Prophets led her to that boy… and Jade was shocked to see him.

The boy was Dave, or more so, Dream Dave. He was curled up in his 'Dream Chamber', laying on the floor and crying. He was skinny, and frightened, and lost-looking. That night, Jade had tried to approach him, but he was too afraid. It took Jade weeks of work to gain his trust enough for him to talk to her, and then months after that to get him to open up to her.

He begged her not to tell anyone about him there. But she promised him she could not do that. She had to tell Dirk that he was still alive…

But he made her promise not to tell him yet. So, while she was still walking on eggshells with him, she remained tight lipped about him. By the end of that year, they were close friends. He used her like a diary, though would never enclose too many details. He would never tell her what his 'Real-Self' was doing, and would only say he was 'Dirty'. Whenever Jade asked why he was dirty, he would not respond.

Then one day she showed up in his room, and he was curled up on his bed crying. He was shaking badly, and screaming. Jade did not know what to do, she kept asking him what was wrong, but all he could say was that his 'Real-Self was an asshole'. The only thing she could think of, was that his real self was in trouble, and she decided that night to tell Dirk.

Only… telling them did not go as well as she thought. They could not visit Derse or Prospit, and they did not believe her. Jake pretended to believe her, and was sympathetic about it, and Dirk just looked hurt and saddened by the news.

She then heard the two of them talking when she was supposed to be asleep. Jake had said 'the doctor warned us this could happen…' and the next day, the two of them took her to the doctor, who put her on different medications… and the dreams stopped.

But here she was now. After all these years, here she was, back on Prospit. She knew where to go, she had to go to Derse. Even after all this time, the trip to Derse was straightforward, and before long, she found herself entering Dream Dave's chamber.

It was nothing like she remembered it last.

The once purple walls were black, and all of Dream Dave's belongings were gone. All that was left was the bed pushed up against the wall. Dream Dave was sitting on it, his back pressed up against the wall.

"Dave!" Jade gasped, running over to him. She jumped on the bed and crawled over until she sat in front of him. He was sitting with his knees bent, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs, and his head resting on his knees. His hair covered his face, and she reached up to move it out. He let out an exasperated moan, and she immediately let him go.

"Dave?" She asked again, "Its me, Jade. Are you ok? Oh my god Dave… what's wrong?"

"He's what's wrong." Dream Dave muttered, without raising his head.

"He?" Jade asked, "Your Real-Self?"

"He's going to kill himself." Dream Dave's words were a gargled mess, "Jade… I feel sick."

"Do you need to hurl?" Stupid question… why did she ask that?

"Where were you?" Dream Dave whispered, finally raising his head. His shades covered his eyes, but the rest of his face shocked her, "Why did you leave?"

"I didn't mean to." Jade cried, "I'm so sorry Dave."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Dream Dave moaned. The moan was weak, and it sounded strange in Jade's ears, "He's made up his mind… I'm a goner."

"No your not!" Jade cried, throwing her arms around him, and hugging him tightly, "I'll save you! Tell me where you are, I can save you!"

"I can't…" Dream Dave said, "I'm dirty…"

"You keep saying that, but you won't tell me why!" She could hear the desperation in her own voice, "Please Dave! Why won't you tell me where you are?"

"It doesn't matter anymore." He repeated, though more softly this time.

"Dave!" She wanted to slap him, but he was so huddled up, that she couldn't find it in her to, "I'm going to save you! I promise I will save you!"

She pushed herself away from him, and he did not move, nor make any protest. She climbed off the bed, and Dream Dave fell over on his side. The sight made her sick.

"I'll save you! Just watch!" She cried, whirling around and running from his room. She knew exactly where she was going to go, back to the Prophet. He had to help her… he just had to…

… … …

Something hit her in the face. She groaned and rolled over, but was rewarded with several more objects flying at her. They were soft, and she immediately knew what they were. She sat up and giggled as a whirl of Smuppets buried her.

She pushed several off as she sat up, and looked over at the door, where Dirk stood with an empty sack that probably once held all these Smuppets.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" He stated,

"Uncle Dirk!" She giggled, nestling back down into the pile of Smuppets. These things were creepy, but they were really soft…

"Come on, get up!" Dirk said, "Or I'll sick Bec on ya."

"No!" Jade gasped, but it was too late, Dirk fully opened the door, and a large white dog came bounding into the room, and jumped up onto the bed, knocking the wind out of her. Jade laughed and tried to push the dog off of her, as it licked her face, "Down Bec! No!"

"I'll help you Bec!" Dirk grinned, walking into the room, and scooping Jade up from under the arms and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Uncle Dirk!" Jade laughed, "I'm not a child anymore!" Bec barked behind her as Dirk dropped her on a plush arm chair in the corner, filled with Squiddles.

"Ugh. I can tell." He smirked, "When did you get so big?"

"When I turned eighteen." Jade stuck her tongue out at him.

Dirk smirked and rustled her hair, before heading back out of the room, "Come on Bec! Let's let Sleeping Beauty get dressed!"

Jade giggled to herself as the two left the room, then got up to close the door.

"Hurry up, girly! Our plane won't wait forever!" Dirk called from the hallway.

Oh right! Jade blushed. She had totally forgot. Next week, John was heading to a University in Washington. The house that they had rented out was now vacated, and John was going to be living in there while he went to school. Vriska was even going to come up and live with him.

She was happy for him, though she knew she would miss her brother. She picked up a brush and looked in the large mirror positioned above her dresser as she started to brush her hair. She had not been away from her brother for very long since that incident… how many years ago was that now?

She tried to think, they had stayed in Texas for a year… and they left when John was fourteen, and she was thirteen…and only a few short months ago, John had celebrated his nineteenth birthday… five years… five years they had been living in London, and an additional year since Dave went missing, and they came to live with Jake.

Dave!

Oh right! She nearly forgot! She could be so forgetful at times…

She quickly threw on some clothing, before skipping over to the computer and flicking it on. As soon as it started up, she turned on Pesterchum. A few people were online, but no one she wanted to talk to, the Prophet told her that if she ever wanted to see Dave again, she had to do exactly what he told her, and send a single message to a certain therapist in New York…

- gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 11:32 -

GG: Dave Strider

- gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 11:33 -

TT: Hello? Do I know you? Please tell me how you acquired my handle?

TT: Who is Dave Strider?

- gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 11:35 -

GG: tell that name to your private investigator

GG: sorry to bother you but this is really important

GG: : ( sorry you wont hear from me again

- gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 11:37 -

TT: How do you know about my P.I? Who are you?

TT: Hello? Are you there?

Jade smiled at the screen as she saw the purple text responding to her green and she quickly shut down her computer. Her job was done, and if the prophet was right, then she just saved Dave's life. She squealed with delight.

"Jade?" A knock came at the door.

Jade gasped, and whirled around in her chair, "Yes?"

The door opened, and Jake entered, "We're all waiting for you downstairs. You ready to go?"

Jade's grin widened, "Yes! Be there shortly, Uncle Jake!"

He nodded, "Ok. Here, I'll take your luggage down with me."

"Thank you!" She smiled.

She watched as Jake left the room again and sighed. They could not know the dreams have returned… not right now. Jake and Dirk had been planning this vacation to Jake's private island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for months, and it was the last family trip they would take before John went away for school. No, she would keep it to herself for now, and maybe that would mean that she can see Dream Dave again! Now that she had interrupted Dave's 'Real-Self' from whatever he was doing, she was certain everything was going to turn out alright.

* * *

><p>DAVE: Be interrupted from whatever you were doing<p>

* * *

><p>Hi! Yup, so you all know I am a male now! Haha! It's all good : P<p>

As for questions about the DirkxJake thing, I am kind of a hippy with my believes. Though I am not attracted to males at all, perfectly straight, I don't think my sexuality should be reflected on others. I think everyone should have the right to love who they want, regardless of gender or religion. Everyone deserves the right to love.

That, and look at all the ships in HS… so far: Jake admitted he is open to a relationship with Dirk, and Dirk… well, obvious is obvious. Then look at the hetero couples. John x Vriska: John shot that down ( I went down with this ship ). John x Rose : John shot that down. Dave x Jade … still a possibility ( I am going down with that ship regardless ), Karkat x Terezi : neither of them admit their feelings…

( out of all the Homestuck ships, I have to say my favorite is Dirk x Jake, John x Vriska, Dave x Jade, Kanaya x Rose, and Karkat x Terezi… but that's just me : 3 )

So yeah, leave it for the gay couple to actually admit something : D You got to admit, they are a cute couple, regardless of their gender : 3

Hopefully everyone agrees, though I know homosexuality is a hot debate. I know, because I was talking to a friend of mine, who is a lesbian, about cute girls from a show we both watch, and we got in trouble for by the restaurant manager, because she was a girl, talking about hot girls :( Which is wrong. It's a sad world we live in D:


	24. DAVE: Be interrupted from whatever you

Warning, long chapter!

* * *

><p>DAVE: Be interrupted from whatever you were doing<p>

* * *

><p>No. Not this time. There will be no interruptions this time. Dave's hand shook as the razor bit deep into his wrist, spilling crimson liquid into the cheap ass sink.<p>

It was all he could afford. The cheap-ass bachelor apartment… the concrete floors were cold, and the brick walls were bare. All it could fit was a single bed, a small bar fridge - which doubled for a counter - and a hot plate sitting on top of it. The rest of the space was taken up by a small bathroom, only large enough for a small shower, a toilet, and a cheap ass sink. The sink was badly stained with blood and vomit. He knew he'd never get his damage deposit back for this place, but at this point, he did not care. The blade bit deeper, and he screamed out in pain.

This was his third suicide attempt.

The first time, he survived. He tried to overdose on Sopor, but somehow lived through it. The second time, he slit both his wrists, but the police had showed up at the door with a noise complaint. Sitting on the 'counter' next to the hot plate was a large stereo. It was the one thing he let himself buy. He had gotten three noise complaints about it, and right now, it was blasting rap music as loud as it could. The bass hurt his ears, and vibrated the floor, but he ignored it as he dropped the razor into the sink, panting heavily.

This time he was going to do it. He was going to slit his wrists, then overdose. Two for two. There was no getting out of it this time.

He grabbed the bottle, stumbling forward into the sink. He laughed, a crazed, nearly insane sounding laugh. He forced himself back to his feet and looked at the cracked and warn mirror above the sink. His reflection disgusted him. Years of selling his body, and drug abuse had taken its toll on him. He was only nineteen, but he looked so much older. He was skinny, nearly anorexic - often trading food money for drugs, and what little food he did buy, he could rarely stomach. His cheeks were nearly concave, and his hair was long and unkept. He reached up with his undamaged wrist and numbly played with an end. It felt like straw. His skin was yellow… actually yellow! He laughed at his reflection, he looked like a god damn Simpson's character… which would be ironic if he was not so sick. He had not been able to get food down in days, every time he tried, he threw it back up. He was in pain… and he just wanted it all to end.

He could feel it, he had drank so much Sopor, he was close to overdosing. He had overdosed a few times over the years and by now, knew what it felt like. One more drink… that's all it would take. The world around him started spinning and he felt woozy.

The bass pounded in his ears, and he pretended it was the devil urging him on. He smiled and held the bottle to his lips…

…and there was a knock on the door.

Fuck! Who the hell could it be this time? It wasn't Aradia. After she walked in on him cutting himself, her boyfriend forbid her to ever see him again. It could be the police? Yeah… it was probably the fucking police again. Well, fuck them! You were stoned, and about to kill yourself. It did not matter that they were here…

"Dave? Dave Strider? Are you home?"

A female voice. Now the cops were on a first name basis with him? Fuck!

He opened his mouth, and let the green slime soak over his tongue. He moaned and swallowed. Almost instantly, his knees gave out, and he was on the floor, he knew he was convulsing, but could not feel it. Blood soaked underneath him, as he held the bottle up and chugged it.

He was not aware the bathroom door open… but the last thing he heard was a startled gasp overtop of him, before everything went black.

… … …

_Beep…Beep…Beep…_

_Click, click, click_

What? What was that noise? Where are you? Holy shit your head hurts.

Dave opened his eyes, and while the beeping continued, the clicking sound stopped. He turned his head and saw a woman. Dave had to blink a few times around the light, and that only made his headache worse, but it was worth it too see her. Her face was stoic, and her eyes were cold and emotionless. Dave could remember a time when he could do that himself, wear a perfect poker face… how times change…

She had been knitting, a long green and purple garment was hanging from her two knitting needles, as soon as she saw him look at her, she stopped knitting. The clicking stopped… oh, so that's what was causing the clicking, it was the knitting needles clicking together. She placed it aside, her black-lipstick covered lips pursing together.

"Good morning." She said flatly,

"Where am I?" Dave muttered, looking away from her, and up at the ceiling.

"I believe you may be able to answer that yourself." She replied, her voice as void of emotion as her face.

"The hospital… fuck." Dave tried to raise his arm up to rub his face, but a searing pain ripped up it. He groaned.

That finally seemed to break this stranger's poker face, and a small smirk crossed those black lips, "You should feel grateful I arrived when I did."

"Why did you save me?" Dave groaned, "Who the fuck are you? How did you get into my apartment?"

"One question at a time." She replied, folding her hands over her lap, her two index fingers tapping together, "I shall start with your first one. I saved you because you are my brother. It would really be bothersome if the first time I met my biological brother was at his funeral."

Dave made a noise, it sounded like a mix between a grunt and a laugh, "Sister? I think you've got the wrong guy." Dave turned to look at her again, "I don't have any siblings."

"You were adopted, Dave." She pointed out, "How do you know you don't have any family? If I am not mistaken, you came to New York looking for your long lost family?"

"How did you know that?" Dave asked,

"Next question," She interjected, "My name is Rose Lalonde, and as you already know, I am your sister - twin sister to be precise."

"Twin sister?" Dave repeated under his breath,

"When we were just infants," Rose continued, "Our mother was a heavy drinker. And apparently, one day, when she had drank all the alcohol in the house, she decided to go out for some more…"

"And took me for the ride. I get it." Dave mumbled.

"Do not interrupt." Rose retorted, "Yes, she did take you along… but in her inebriation, she let you sit on her lap… so when she pulled over to the side of the road, probably to use the woods as an 'outhouse', she set you down on the ground, and forgot."

Dave turned and looked up at the ceiling, closing his eyes. Great… mentally, he always imagined something more… poetic, then being left at the side of the road by a woman pulling over either to piss or throw up. As a child, he would often lay in bed at night, and pretend there was a huge car accident, and his mother used the last of her strength to get him out of the car or something…

"She looked for you, you know." Rose said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts,

"Must not have looked very hard." Dave snapped.

"The next morning, after she had sobered up enough to realize what she did, she went out to look for you… but she never found you."

But Bro did, he thought bitterly, "The guy that took me in… told me no one reported me missing."

Rose shook her head, "No. Mother was so afraid that if she called the police saying she lost her son while drunk, they would take me away as well." She paused for a second, before continuing, "I was eventually taken away from her as well, while I was in middle school."

"Shame." Dave spat.

"Losing you destroyed her." Rose stated, "I cannot tell you how many times she cried herself to sleep, wondering if you were alive, or how over doting she pretended to be with me, to make up for losing you."

"Double shame." Dave rolled his eyes. He suddenly realized his cheap, dollar store shades were no longer on his face, but he pretended that it did not bother him as much as it really did.

"Which leads us to your last question." Rose said coolly, never once breaking her composure, "How did I find you? I've been looking for you for years."

Dave finally turned to look at her, he must have been giving her a funny look, because she finally broke that stoic expression when the corner of her mouth twitched upwards.

"Yes, Dave." Rose nodded, "I hired a private investigator to try and track you down… but with no leads, I thought it was a lost cause."

"Why bother?" Dave snapped,

"Why indeed?" Rose sighed. She suddenly looked very tired, "Dave, I have you registered in this hospital under your birth name. On your birth certificate, you are named Rick Lalonde. Do not be alarmed if the doctor's refer to you under such a name."

"You know I can't afford the hospital bill." Dave snapped,

"Under the name of Rick Lalonde," Rose continued, as if she did not hear him, "As your only remaining family - due to you being hospitalized for attempted suicide and drug abuse - I have gained full control over your assets until you recover. From here on out, I am responsible for you."

"Assets?" Dave laughed, "What assets?"

Rose closed her eyes for a second, and then gave him a stern look, "As Dave Strider, you have none."

"How do you know so much about me?" Dave snapped, "This 'private investigator' of yours spying on me?"

Rose nodded, "In a way. An anonymous tip was given to me a few weeks ago, and I forwarded that tip to my P.I. Just from that tip alone, we were able to track you down."

"Really?" Dave laughed, "Guess I am not as secretive as I thought."

"No, it was still very hard to find you." Rose replied, "Even harder to find details about you. But I had to make certain I knew everything, before moving in."

"Everything?" Dave groaned, "Seriously?"

Rose nodded, "While your birth name is Rick Lalonde, you were found 'forgotten' by the side of the road by a Mr. Dirk Strider, who took you in, and named you after his deceased brother. When you were thirteen years old, you ran away from home and made your way over to New York, where you spent the next year looking for clues to your biological family, when you could not find any, you gave up. You spent the next two years working the streets, until you were sixteen, where you got your first job, and have had dozens of jobs after that one. Each time you were either fired within the first week - due to your drug addictions, or you quit, because you did not make enough money there to cover those same drug addictions, and you made more money working the street. You went in and out of shelters until you were seventeen, where you looked old enough to pass for nineteen, and managed to get a… small apartment, in the slums of the city, where you have been living ever since…"

Dave did not realized his jaw was 'dropped' until after she paused talking. He slowly closed his mouth, suddenly embarrassed. Did she know why he ran away? Would she hate him if she did? He swallowed hard and looked at her.

"That's a… hard working P.I." Dave muttered, "Did he tell you why I ran away? He must have cost you a fortune…"

"Why you ran away is not my prerogative." Rose shrugged, "I was looking into where you went, not why."

"Oh." Was that all he could say? What happened to the smooth 'Mr. Coolkid' persona?

"And it did not cost me a dime, though it cost you a pretty penny. All the money spent on finding you, came out of your account." Rose stated.

"I can't even pay for this hospital stay… how the hell do you expect me to pay a P.I?" Dave snapped, "You should have just let me die."

Rose smirked, "Well, yes. As Dave Strider - no, you cannot pay for this hospital bill or the P.I. It took the doctors quite a lot of effort to keep you alive, and they had to resuscitate you twice."

Dave rolled his eyes. At this point, he did not care.

"But as Rick Lalonde, yes you can. Though I have ceased all your assets until you show me you are responsible enough to handle it."

"What?" Dave asked,

"After I was removed from the Lalonde household, it sent Mother over the edge. She had still not forgiven herself for losing you, and when she lost me as well… she did the exact same thing you just tried to do."

"She killed herself?" Dave said, more like a statement then a question.

Rose nodded, "It seems, Lalondes are prone to addictions. She drank herself to death… killed herself on the exact same thing that made her lose everything."

Dave thought about how he purposely tried to overdose on sopor… maybe he was a Lalonde after all…

"Of course, she left a will behind as a sort of 'suicide note', handing all her assets to her two children." Rose stated, "And Mother was not a poor woman."

Dave stared at Rose as if she was crazy… was she telling him the truth?

"In total, she left the both of us roughly over a million dollars each, though because you were nowhere to be found, I have control over the account until you come to claim it. Though, in the state you are in now, I would not allow you to have a dime of our Mother's money, until you can show me you won't waste it all on drugs and alcohol."

Dave glared at her, "Its my fucking money! I should be allowed to do what I want with it!"

"Dave." Rose stated firmly, "The doctors will tell you this eventually, but I will break it to you now. Dave, you are very sick."

He rolled his eyes again, "Duh."

"I don't think you grasp the severity of the situation." Rose continued, "Your liver is severely damaged - probably from years of extended drug abuse. You see that yellow colouring on your skin? That is jaundice."

"Jaundice?" Dave asked,

"Yes." Rose nodded, "Your liver is so badly damaged, it cannot filter your blood properly, which causes the yellowing of the skin."

"Explains why I look like a fucking Simpson's character." Dave muttered,

"You also have Hepatitis. Hepatitis doesn't just cause yellowing of the skin." Rose pointed out, "Your liver is inflamed, and the doctors said you've been suffering from it for a while. Have you not noticed a fever or any sharp abdominal pains?"

He had, but had ignored them, because he could not afford to go to a doctor. He always thought the gut pains were withdrawal or hunger pains, and not something this serious…

"Dave." Rose said sternly, "The doctors told me you have probably been suffering from this for a long time. Why did you not get help?"

Dave did not reply. He just looked back up at the ceiling. The condescending look in Rose's eyes was starting to bug him.

"Just one look at you, and anyone could tell you are not well." She snapped, "I am sort of a doctor myself, though my knowledge lies more in the mind then the body, but I do know how important your liver is, and what happens when its not functioning right. Your kidneys also show some signs of damage, but not as bad as your liver."

"Whoopie." Dave said sarcastically.

"The liver is a strong organ." Rose continued, clearly ignoring him, "The doctors are putting you on some medication to help restore your liver, but… if you keep your current lifestyle up, your liver will fail."

"That is right, Mrs. Lalonde."

Dave startled as a stranger's voice filled the room. Both 'siblings' looked over as the doctor walked into the room.

"Though I am not sure we should even bother putting him on the medication." The doctor said, his voice clearly sounding annoyed, "People like him never change. I don't see the point of wasting good medication on someone who will throw it down the toilet."

The doctor was a tall man, with thick glasses and a heavy accent. Dave instantly did not like him. But the man went over, and pulled a chair up to Dave's bedside.

"As your sister stated, Mr. Lalonde," He said, "Your liver is badly damaged. You may even need a liver transport… but like I said, I would hate to waste a good organ on someone who will only damage it all over again."

"So, I'm dying? Is that what your trying to tell me? I'm dying and you don't want to help me?" Dave snapped.

"I'm saying that if you keep this lifestyle up, you will die." The Doctor nodded, "You did this to yourself, Rick. The pain you are in now, you have no one to blame but yourself."

Dave squeezed his eyes shut, "Don't think I don't fucking know that, alright? Lay off."

The Doctor frowned, but Rose cut him off from whatever he was going to say, "That is why I am here. As the beneficiary of our late Mother's account, I am here to make sure my brother gets the help he needs."

"Oh, and how are you going to do that?" Dave snapped,

"There is a mental hospital I work for just down the street from here." Rose explained, "I enrolled you into it already, in the Rehabitation Center there. The best in New York. As family, you get a large discount on your stay… it is purely voluntary, you can choose to go if you wish. But I will not give you any of Mother's money until you complete the course, or at least show me that you will not kill yourself with it."

"Fuck you!" Dave snapped, "I don't need your fucking charity!"

"I think I'll leave you two alone again." The Doctor sighed, standing up again,

"Yeah. Leave. You've been absolutely no fucking help." Dave snapped, trying to sit up.

Rose leaned forward and pushed him back down with a frown.

Dave did not know why he was suddenly so pissed off. Maybe because he's done everything by himself since he was thirteen years old. He never had to rely on anyone but himself. Why start now? Damn he knew that was a lie. All these years he wished he had someone to lean on, someone to share his pain with… but now that he had it, it frightened him. Why? He should be happy with some help…

"I'm good. I'm fine now. I'm going home." He snapped. What the hell was he saying? No he wasn't fine! His liver was badly damaged…but… that was his fault… he did this to himself.

"You are far from fine." Rose replied, but this time, she did not stop him when he tried to push himself up.

The pain was horrible. He wanted to hurl, and his head was spinning. It was the worst pain he had ever been in…

"I want you to at least consider going to the Center." Rose pleaded,

"I said I don't need your fucking charity!" Dave snapped. The pain was so bad… his voice was coming out as a snarl. He did not mean to snarl…

"Its not charity." Rose promised, "This is family. Family looks out for each other."

"Rose." Dave ripped the IV out of his arm, and flipped the covers off, he twisted until his legs hung off the bed and looked hard at her, studying the contours of his long-lost-sister's face, "You heard the Doc. I did this to myself. I have no one to blame but myself, and I certainly don't need anyone else suffering under my mistakes with me."

For a second, Dave did not think Rose was going to respond. She closed her eyes and pursed her lips again, before looking at Dave, her purple eyes intense, "Then don't think of this as charity. You spent good money to find me. Yes, the money came from your account, but I thought you would be happy with some, rather then none. This is your own money we are talking about. Its not charity, this is you spending your own money to fix yourself up, and save your own life. "

"I don't deserve to be saved." He muttered, looking down at his hands. The back of one of his hands was still bleeding from where he ripped the IV out.

"You do, if you take steps to fix yourself." Rose stated.

"Rose!" Dave snapped, "I killed my brother! Ok? I ran away because I killed him! He took me in, raised me, and then I turned around and killed him. Are you happy? Huh? I am a filthy, disgusting, prostitute and a murderer. I sell my body for drugs. I am the scum of the Earth. Ok? This right here is karma. Fucking karma. It just decided to jump down from its high horse to join me in the mud and laugh at me. I deserve this!"

What the hell was he saying? That was the last thing he wanted to say. That was the very last thing in the entire world he wanted her to know. Here she was, his blood-sister. The person he had been searching for, for so long… and he was trying to chase her away.

"I think if you look at things differently, you may see a different story." She finally said.

Dave blinked. He felt deflated. It was as if all his anger had suddenly disappeared. His shoulders slumped and he sighed, "Yeah. Maybe."

"I think if you come and stay with me and my wife for a while, we may be able to help you see things differently." Rose stated.

"Wife?" Dave asked,

"Yes." She nodded, "My wife and I are currently residing in our Mother's old house. The house was also left to you, so this is again, not charity. Its you coming to stay at your own home."

Dave did not feel like arguing anymore. He was tired and sick. All he wanted to do was lay down and never wake up. He looked at Rose, feeling all the warmth in his face drain. He did not want to return to that apartment… he did not want to be alone anymore.

He sighed, "Ok…"

Rose smirked, "I'll tell the doctor I am taking you home. If you do not want to go to the Center, at least I can keep a watch on you at home. Though I still think it would be a good idea to go."

"Don't push it." Dave grumbled.

"Oh, I plan to." Rose replied.

"Shit." He sighed.

This was either going to be a huge relief, or the biggest let down of his life. It appeared that his sister seemed to know everything about him, but he knew nothing about her. She was at a huge advantage over him, and he did not like that… but right now, all he wanted to do was sleep. So he let her take him away, away from that cursed hospital, and that condescending doctor, and off towards Rainbow Falls.

He was heading out to the place he had not been since he was a baby.

* * *

><p>ROSE: Entertain Guest<p>

* * *

><p>Going with the R theme for the Lalondes XD sorry!<p>

Damn this chapter took a lot of research :' ( I always do research when I need to, so yeah. And my internet was being a brat and kept kicking me out D : But I hope I got all the symptoms right… so much research, so little time XD

For those of you who want to know more about liver disease, here are the symptoms:

- Fatigue

- Weakness

- Abdominal Pain

- Jaundice

Symptoms of Hepatitis:

- nausea

- vomiting

- fever

- weakness and fatigue

- abdominal pain

- dark urine

- light coloured stools

- jaundice

Don't do drugs kids.

At least Rose is here to help now :)


	25. ROSE: Entertain Guest

ROSE: Entertain Guest

* * *

><p>Rose sat at her kitchen table, playing with a wine glass, her eyes transfixed on the wine sloshing in circles on the inside as she twisted the glass around.<p>

The kitchen was dark, and she was sitting at the table, her head resting on her free hand. The only light in the kitchen came from the clock on the microwave. Somewhere in the living room, across from the kitchen, her Mother's old Wizard Grandfather Clock ticked away. She listened to the sound of the second hands ticking away, or the sound of the pendulum rocking back and forth.

"I really wish you did not do that."

The voice startled Rose, and she would be lying if she said she did not jump, at least a little, but she did not turn around. She continued to stare at the wine sloshing in circles. She heard the sound of slippered feet walking gently across the kitchen floor, before a hand rested on her shoulder. Rose reached up and patted the hand, before it was removed, and a woman sat across from her at the table.

The woman has short black hair, and was wearing a beautiful jade housecoat. She stared at Rose through sleepy, jade-coloured eyes, "I would think you would have learned from your late Mother, or your brother not to drink."

"Its all about moderation." Rose shrugged, resting the wine glass on the table, and pulling her hand away from it, "Anything is fine, as long as you take it in moderation."

The woman nodded, "But two of the three Lalondes don't seem to understand that, and I would hate to see you go the route your Mother did."

Rose smirked, "Don't worry, Kanaya." She looked away from the raven-haired woman and at the clock, "You really are my best friend. Thank you for your concern."

"That is what best friends do." Kanaya smiled, "We support each other in times of need. And speaking of need, where is our guest? Last I saw him, he had fallen asleep on the couch?"

"I put him to bed a few hours ago in the guest room." Rose stated,

"You know there is a huge possibility he will not be here in the morning." Kanaya stated.

"Yes, I know." Rose nodded, looking back into her drink, "And that will be his decision."

"Are you not going to take measures to keep him here?" Kanaya asked, "You told the doctor you would watch him."

Rose smirked and picked up the glass again, sipping it lightly, "I have had… patients like Dave before. Fiercely independent people, who no longer know how to accept help. People in Dave's state may take offence to an outside source trying to control him. The last thing we want, is for Dave to think we are taking some of his control away."

"He has not shown us much self-control so far." Kanaya pointed out.

"Many people in Dave's predicament, often tell themselves otherwise." Rose explained, "While they feel they do not have much power over their situation, they feel they take their own independence that much more seriously… all Dave has is that. If we try to take it away, he may resent us, and if he resents us, he will not let us in, and we cannot help him."

"So what do you plan to do?" Kanaya asked,

"Guide him." Rose said, "That is all we can. We could force him to stay here… lock him in a room, and make sure he has no access to any sort of liver-damaging substance, and risk him resenting us… but that brings on more risks then what it is worth."

She paused, putting the glass down, "I have worked at the Rehabilitation Center for many years. I have seen many families force a loved one to enter… hoping to help them… only for that person to grow to hate the place, and instead of seeing it as a center to help them, they see it as a prison. Over ninety-percent of people forced into rehabilitation, will go right back to the substance as soon as they are out, and something does not go their way."

"So you think there is no hope for Dave?" Kanaya asked,

Rose shook her head, "I do think there is. But we cannot force him down that road, he must walk it himself. We can guide him, and walk down it with him… but if we force him, it would do him no good in the long run."

They both fell silent for few seconds, Kanaya looking at Rose with sympathy, and Rose looking at her now empty glass with distain.

Finally Rose sat up. She ran her tired fingers over her face, "I just do not know anymore, Kanaya."

"Hmm?"

"I guess…" Rose sighed, "I was expecting something else. Ever since I was a child, I wondered what happened to my long lost brother… I always knew there was a possibility that this would happen… but I really hoped our meeting would be more… happy."

"I know." Kanaya reached over and stroked the back of Rose's hand comfortingly, "You have been looking forward to meeting him for a long time. This will be hard, Rose… but I know it will be worth it in the end."

Rose gave out a tired sigh, "I hope you are right."

She straightened up, fighting off a yawn, "I told him we were married."

Kanaya smirked, "And why did you do that?"

She shrugged, "I was hoping for some reaction from him… the way he was looking at me…worried me. His eyes looked dead… like there was no life in him whatsoever."

"And did you get a reaction from him?" Kanaya asked,

"No." Rose muttered.

Kanaya got up and walked around the table, wrapping her arms around Rose, and hugging her 'best-friend' tightly, "It will all be alright. You will see. But it is late, and you need to work in the morning, so lets go to bed."

Rose nodded.

… … …

Dave had been there the next morning. And the morning after that, and so on.

The forest was beautiful this time of the year. Very much alive and green. Rose was not very much an outdoors person, but she liked to stare at it outside the window while she talked on the phone with a client. Today though, she was not talking to a client, but a doctor.

It had been three weeks since Dave came to stay with them. He had done terrific so far, though the last three weeks were hell on everyone. Rose knew what to expect… she had dealt with many patients going through withdrawal. She knew exactly what to expect when he started the dramatic mood swings, or the heavy sweating, or the vomiting, and even the gasping for breath.

Right now, he sat across from her at the table, making faces at her while she tried to talk to the doctor. She struggled to ignore him, but could not help herself from breaking a smile. He had definitely made it through the worst. But she could clearly remember the first week was awful. He would wonder the house in a daze, looking through all the cupboards and the fridge over and over, looking for something, but not knowing what. When Kanaya had gone up to him and asked him if he needed help finding something, he exploded on her, and after that, she rarely approached him for a long time. Rose knew exactly what he was doing, while Dave himself was not looking for drugs, his subconscious was. By the second week, that stopped, and Dave had become desperate, often trying to sneak out to try and find his fix.

Never once did Rose try and stop him, and even once or twice asked him if he wanted a ride. But she did lecture him. Every single time he talked about leaving, she would remind him what he had at stake, and if he really wanted to live, he would stay. Only twice he had left, but to Rose's delight, he returned without smelling like anything. The second time, he even returned with some wild flowers and an apology. He begged Kanaya and Rose for forgiveness for his behaviour, and thankfully, Kanaya forgave him. Rose then took the two of them out for dinner.

The third week, Dave started to show symptoms not normal to withdrawal. He was getting weaker, and he never complained, but Rose could see his face twist in pain whenever he tried to make any sort of movement. It was clear he was in pain, and while she hated to admit it, she knew it was his liver.

She then made Dave a deal he could not refuse. She would buy him new aviator sunglasses, not the cheap ones either - if he would start going to the doctor for weekly checkups. When she took him to his first appointment, she bought him the sunglasses on the way home. He acted like a little kid who lost his stuffed animal with them. She had never seen him so happy, and that made her happy.

Dave's liver was failing. The news was like a blow to the face to her, because he was doing so well. But the doctor said the damage was done when Dave tried to kill himself by overdosing. Dave himself, did not look startled by the news, and was quiet on the ride to the eye-glass store where she bought him the shades.

He started walking with a cane shortly after that, and even started his first Liver Dialysis, to clean up the toxins in his blood that the liver could no longer. It only took a few days, but Dave was already looking a lot better. His skin was losing some of that yellow tinge to it, and he seemed to have regained some of his energy. He no longer looked like he was on death's door.

"Dave, stop!" Rose whispered, covering the receiver with her hand as he continued to make faces at her, "I'm on the phone with your doctor."

"Oh, heaven's no! Whatever will we do?" Dave replied sarcastically, "Doctor Mc Snooty Panty! I know you hate me, but please save me!"

Rose rolled her eyes, and went back to talking to the Doctor. He was reluctant to put Dave on a waiting list to receive a new liver, though Rose assured him that he was making progress in the right direction to quit the drugs.

Dave himself, outright refused it.

Every time Rose mentioned a Liver Transplant, he would get angry.

"Might as well hang up, Rose." Dave snapped, "I'm not getting surgery."

"Yes, I will bring him down tomorrow for his check up." Rose said, ignoring Dave, "Thank you, very much. I will see you then."

She hung up the phone, "He has put you on the waiting list."

"I don't deserve it." Dave replied,

"Dave." Rose said sternly. He looked at her, and she suddenly wished the 'shades' as he called them, were not so dark so she could see his eyes, "Let's go for a walk."

He seemed startled by that answer, and blinked a few times before responding, "A walk?"

"Yes. A walk." Rose nodded, "It is a nice day outside, and we won't have much more until the cold weather settles in."

Dave frowned, and for a second, Rose thought he was going to say something sarcastic again, but he finally smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Let's go for a walk."

* * *

><p>DAVE: Go for a walk<p> 


	26. DAVE: Go for a walk

DAVE: Go for a walk

* * *

><p>The fresh air outside was inviting, but it hurt to walk. Dave leaned heavily on his cane as he struggled to keep his poker face intact. He had fought hard in the last three weeks to relearn the special technique of the 'poker-face', because there was no way he would let Rose beat him at something he was supposed to have been taught as a child.<p>

Rose led the way out the door, and kept a slow pace beside him as they walked down a dirt path through the forest. The path was even, and easy for Dave to traverse. She stayed silent, her face stuck in its perfect composure. He was ready for it though, the moment the house disappeared behind them, and it was just the two of them, Rose was going to let him have it. The last three weeks, he had gotten used to her lectures. She was probably going to go on and on about 'how life is worth living' and 'he was still young'.

He sighed inwardly as he shifted his weight on the cane. Yeah, he knew all that. He was only nineteen, well, in his defence, he was nearly twenty. But still, he knew he was young. He had never had a girlfriend, never had a family, or a full-time job. He knew there was so much he was going to miss, but at the same time, he had already missed so much of his life, that it did not matter. He never got to have a childhood… he was too obsessed as a kid on being 'cool' to let himself have any freedom.

"The trees will change colour soon." Rose said suddenly.

Dave jumped inwardly and turned to look at her. She was walking beside him, her face as stoic as ever, those large violet eyes dark and thoughtful.

"Guess so." Dave mumbled. He wondered if he would have the strength to enjoy the autumn when it actually arrived.

Rose fell silent, and as Dave looked behind him, and saw the house disappear, he started to grow worried. This was usually where she would stop walking, and start lecturing him about something, but no, she kept walking. As they went, Dave found it harder to keep up, he had started panting as he struggled to keep the pace, but she did not even look at him. Her pace slowed slightly, and she turned and started down a side path. Dave watched her go, this path was a little less even then the one they were on now, and he wondered if he could follow her. She did not look back to see if he was going to, and kept going. Dave sighed and started following her.

The path was slightly steep, and heading down into a valley between the laboratory in the distance, and the Lalonde house. He struggled his way down, using his cane to help him proceed, when the path finally straightened out, and they entered the bottom of the valley.

A small clearing was in front of them, where two graves rested. One of them had a military insignia on it.

"Rose?" He asked, walking up to stand next to her. She had stopped right in front of the graves. Without speaking, she bent down and started cleaning up the fallen pine needles that had fallen on them, brushing them away.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Come here." Rose said softly. Dave could hear the emotion in her voice as she kneeled in front of them. She sounded sad, depressed even.

Slowly, Dave stepped forward, and eased himself to the ground next to her. The valley was dark, and through his shades, he could barely make out the faded lettering on the weather-warn graves. With a sigh, he pushed the shades up over his head and frowned when he read the names written on the gravestones.

They both had names that he did not recognize, but the last name on them were clear as day.

Here Lies

ROXY LALONDE

In Death, May She Finally Find Peace

...

Here Lies

RICHARD LALONDE

Loving Husband, Devoted Friend, and Valiant Soldier

Died Protecting the Land He Loved

"Mom used to take me here all the time." Rose explained coldly, "Every day she would take me down here, and tell me to say hello to Father."

Dave frowned. The word 'father' sounded strange. He rested one hand on her shoulder, and gave it a light squeeze.

"According to our grandparents," Rose continued, "Mom started drinking, the day our father died. She did not know she was pregnant… nevertheless pregnant with twins." She reached down and picked up a final brown pine needle, and threw it aside, before turning and looking at Dave, "You were named after him."

Dave thought of his 'birth name'. Rick Lalonde… god he was glad that Bro gave him a better name then that. But still, it was kind of sad. His 'birth-name' was taken from his late father, and his 'adopted-name' was taken from his late-brother. It seemed like everything around him was just death.

"I had Mom buried next to Dad." Rose said, breaking Dave from his thoughts, "Its what she would have wanted. I thought I should bring you down here, at least once to meet her…"

"Oh." Dave muttered. They remained silent for a few seconds, and then Dave finally said, "Hey, Mom… sup?"

That felt weird to say…

"Is this where you want to be buried as well?"

Dave felt his skin crawl. The way Rose said that frightened him.

"Or would you rather be buried where your adoptive family is?" She finished.

Dave had not realized he was shaking. He was staring at the two graves, imagining a third one. He covered his eyes with one of his hands.

"Because of you do not go for the surgery," Rose stated beside him, coldly, "You will join them. You have to let me know where you want your tombstone."

Dave's jaw dropped. He knew that already, but for some reason, sitting in front of the graves, imagining another one with his name on it, frightened him. He could feel his jaw tremble, and turned around to look at Rose, who had stood up, and was now standing behind him, her arms folded, and her expression impassable.

He swallowed hard, and looked back at the graves, imagining the graveyard back in Texas. Did Bro ever get a tombstone? No one was there to pay for it… no one was there to give Bro a proper funeral…

Rose knelt down next to him again, "I am not going to tell you to go through with it, or not. All I can do, is point you in the right direction. This is not a game Dave, this is your life."

Dave frowned, refusing to look at her, "But I did this…" He paused to take a deep breath, "I did this to myself."

"Yes." Rose nodded, "You have no one to blame but yourself for the pain you are in right now." Dave shuddered, but she continued talking, "That being said, its up to you to take the steps to fix your mistakes."

"I know…" Dave muttered,

"If you want others to forgive you for what you've done," Rose stated, "You have to first ask for it, show them that you are indeed worthy of forgiveness."

"But I am not." Dave's voice was barely above a whisper, "I'm filthy… I've done so many things in my life that is so…wrong."

"Maybe then," Rose said, "Forgiveness must start with you forgiving yourself. Once you forgive yourself, you can fully start moving to recovery."

Dave shuddered, "I can't forgive myself…"

"You don't know, unless you try." Rose said, "The same way you asked Kanaya for forgiveness."

"I have to give myself flowers?" Dave spat,

"Get the surgery." Rose replied, "That could be your first step towards forgiveness."

"Rose." Dave said softly, much softer then he meant to, "I did not start Sopor because of peer pressure or anything like that. I started it because I thought it would make me look more, I dunno… cool. Some of my friends were doing it, and I wanted to do it just because they were. It would be different if I started it out of peer pressure or something… but I started it just to be cool."

"And there is nothing cool about the situation you are in now, is there?" Rose said.

"No." Dave agreed, "That's why… I know this is all my fault. Why should I take a liver that could go to someone else, who did nothing to deserve what they are suffering through?"

"To be fair." Rose corrected, "Most people going in for a Liver Transplant, put themselves there as well."

"When I ran away…" Dave said, ignoring Rose's comment, "I used Sopor to get away from everything… to forget what I did… who I was becoming. When I sold… when I prostituted myself, I used it to get rid of the pain… and now…"

I'm in even worse pain. He thought bitterly.

"But that is all in the past." Rose said, "You don't have to be that person anymore. You have family now."

"Rose…" Dave whispered, lowering his head till he was looking in the dirt, "You had a P.I looking for me right? You knew where I went after I was adopted out."

"Texas, right?" Rose answered,

"Do you know why I left?" Dave asked,

"You told me." She said, rubbing his back, "You killed your brother."

"Did your P.I tell you anything else?" He asked,

"I told you in the hospital, why you ran away was not my prerogative, I was only interested in finding you. Looking into your life in Texas, would have cost you a lot more money, and I thought it would be rude of me to spend more of your money then I absolutely had to."

"Oh." He sighed, "I just wanted to know… what happened to his body."

Rose shook her head, but did not say anything.

She stood up again with a sigh, "I think… you should worry more right now on what to do with your body, rather then worry about someone else."

Dave wished it was that simple.

Maybe it was.

* * *

><p>ROSE:<p>

* * *

><p>Oh Dave... stop being so stubborn :' (<p> 


	27. ROSE:

ROSE:

* * *

><p>"And she just never listens to me! I swear, when talking to her, its like I am talking to a wall! I mean, sometimes… sometimes I feel like she just uses me for my money. You know?"<p>

Rose was only half listening to her patient as he sat on the couch, complaining about his problems. She had heard this story over a thousand times in all her years as a therapist, and knew how to answer him without even thinking about it. She sat there in her chair, looking out the window as the rain pounded down against it in sheets.

"Ms. Lalonde?"

Rose startled, "Sorry…" and she started off on an explanatory speech, on how he could right his marriage, and how he should 'take her feelings into consideration' and all that, without really even hearing herself. At the end, he thanked her vigorously, and left, leaving Rose alone in her office. With a sigh, she mechanically got up and locked the door, before switching the sign on the door from open to closed, and flicked off the lights, before walking over to close the blinds over the window. The room was surprisingly dark, and she welcomed it. She had no idea how long she was standing there, staring at the closed blinds, still holding the rod used to twist them open or shut in her hand, when her phone rang. With a startled gasp, she turned around and looked over at her desk. The phone continued to ring, but she made no motion to answer it. Finally, her answering machine kicked in.

_Hello, you have reached the office of Dr. Rose Lalonde. I am either away from the phone, with a client, or you are calling outside out regular operating hours of nine-to five, Monday to Friday. Please leave a message, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. _

It wasn't even her voice. It was the voice of her receptionist. She listened as a familiar voice answered.

"Hello Rose, its Kanaya." The voice stated over the answering machine, "I have picked up Dave from the Hospital as requested, and we just got home. The Doctor said he is responding well to the Liver Dialysis. He is also happy with Dave's recent weight gain. There is still a bit of a waiting list for the new liver, but the Doctor is starting to seem hopeful that Dave will make long enough to receive it. I put Dave to bed, and he is already fast asleep, Jasper is curled up with him. I will talk to you when you get home."

Rose sighed and walked over to a coat rack by the door, grabbing her coat and throwing it over her shoulders. Spring this year was nasty. It was constantly raining and cold. Winter had been nasty as well, and the trips back and forth from the hospital had been dangerous. It had been several months, but Dave was adamant that all his costs come out of his money, not Rose's, and Rose let that happen. He had still not given his permission for the Liver Transplant yet, but since their talk in the summer of last year, he had not argued against it anymore.

The Doctor wanted to hospitalize him, but he flat out refused. Rose was tempted to get a Doctor that did house calls, so he did not have to leave his bed anymore. He was not as mobile as he used to be, and had not left the house by himself since the first snowfall. He slept most of the time now, and while the yellowness of his skin was nearly gone, it had been replaced by a sickly pale colour. Rose had been debating for the last couple of days to forcefully submit him to the hospital, but decided against it.

… … …

"I just feel so depressed! I hate myself, I hate my life!" A woman cried, sitting on the couch in Rose's office cried, "Why can't I be like the other girls? Why can't I be pretty, and popular? Why can't I get a boyfriend?"

Again, Rose was only half listening to her. She was staring out the window, as a summer storm whipped through. The sound of the wind whipping past the skyscrapers leaked into the office, mixing with the sounds of distant thunder. A flash of lightning filled the room. Rose started to go about the usual routine when a mentally depressed person sat in front of her, couching her the way she did with hundreds of others who came to her for therapy, but before she could finish, the phone rang.

"Please excuse me." Rose stated, standing up and straightening out her skirt, "I need to answer that, I shall be right back."

She walked over to the phone and answered it, "Hello, Dr. Lalonde speaking."

"Rose, I am sorry. I hope I am not interrupting anything?" It was Kanaya.

"Not at all, what is the matter, Kanaya?" Rose placed her clipboard on the desk,

"I went to drop Dave at the hospital for his Dialysis, and the Doctor told me he wants us to keep him there overnight." Kanaya explained,

"Overnight?" Rose asked, "Is something wrong?"

"He had trouble breathing earlier today, and I could not get him to eat." Kanaya explained,"That is natural for this kind of thing." Rose replied, "His body is likely to reject sustenance, since his blood is so full of toxins."

"I could not get him to eat yesterday either though." Kanaya sounded worried, "The Doctor said he was dehydrated, so they are keeping him overnight."

"And how is that waiting list? Does he see any openings coming up?" Rose asked,

"There is a patient staying in the hospital right now, suffering from Lung Cancer, who's blood type matches Dave's… but there are three people in line ahead of him. If all three people pass before him, then the liver is his."

"That does not sound promising." Rose sighed, "Anything else?"

"The Doctor did not say." Kanaya explained, "Just that he was dehydrated and in a lot of pain. The Doctor put him on an IV Drip, and put him on Morphine."

"Is he there to stay?" Rose asked,

"I can go if your busy?" The Patient said behind Rose.

Rose shook her head, "No, I will only be a minute."

"What?" Kanaya asked,

"Is it just an overnight stay, or does the Doctor want to keep him there?" Rose asked again,

"He want's to." Kanaya said, "He asked us again to keep him there. This time, Dave was unable to argue."

"We know he won't stay." Rose sighed,

"As his only living family member," Kanaya said, "In his state, you could probably admit him there, against his will. Rose, I seriously think it's a good idea to keep him here this time."

"We'll see what his state is in the morning." Rose promised, "I'll talk to you later about it."

"Rose…" Kanaya's voice came over as a weak whisper,

"Do not worry." Rose said, with perfect control over her voice as usual, though her mind was screaming frantically, "I am sure he will be alright."

"See you when you get home." Kanaya wished,

"We will have to go out to dinner tonight." Rose promised,

"I will hold you to that."

Rose sighed and hung up the phone, before walking back to her patient, "Sorry about that. Now, where were we?"

… … …

"Are you not going to work today?" Kanaya asked, as Rose sat at the kitchen table. Rose looked up at the microwave clock. She should be at work in nearly ten minutes.

"Guess not." Rose sighed,

"Good. Because I think you owe me a dinner." Kanaya sat down across from Rose, with a smile.

Rose looked Kanaya over. The woman looked beautiful today, her green and pink flowery sundress was a bight contrast to the mood that had been over the Lalonde household as of late. Rose suddenly felt underdressed. She was just wearing a black skirt, and a purple shirt, under a white vest… completely bland compared to the cheery girl across from her.

"I would be home in time for dinner, regardless." Rose stated.

"But I don't want dinner anymore." Kanaya replied, she reached over and opened the blinds, bright morning sunshine washed over them, "It is a beautiful autumn day, and Dave would probably be asleep by the time you get home… so I was thinking about a family picnic?"

"A picnic?" Rose asked, blinking against the bright light,

"Yes." Kanaya nodded, "Its something nice and easy for Dave, and still gives us all something to do, besides sit around and mope. Plus, it will start to get cold again in a few weeks."

"What if the doctor calls about the liver?" Rose asked,

Kanaya frowned, "That cancer patient is still alive, and may be for awhile."

Plus there is two people in front of him, she thought bitterly. One of the patients had already died. Rose sighed and stood up. Kanaya was right. There was no need to sit around and mope.

"I shall call in then. Does Rainbow Falls Campground sound like a good spot to have a picnic?" She asked.

Kanaya nodded, "That is splendid! I shall go out immediately to buy something suitable for a picnic."

"I am sure we have food in the house we can use?" Rose asked,

"Not the perfect picnic food." Kanaya smiled, "I shall go, and you go wake up Dave."

Rose nodded.

Easier said then done. Dave had become a heavy sleeper, and when they finally managed to wake him up, he was groggy and out of it for a while. Rose had gotten into the habit of waking him up before she left for work, to make sure he was drinking. Every time he woke up, she asked him what he dreamt about, and every single time, he would reply, 'A girl in gold'.

Rose wasn't sure if that was a good sign, or a bad sign, but at least he always seemed happy when he woke up. Hopefully today would be one of those days.

* * *

><p>DAVE: Wake up<p>

* * *

><p>I noticed there is a lot of time-skips, that'll change soon. I can't believe I got so far into this story, thank you for sticking with me for so long! You guys are all awesome! Wow… I'm definitely on the ball tonight… three chapters in one night… and its only 4:30 in the morning! : D Gog... I was half asleep writing this, so hopefully I mede it clear, but the last chapter had them leave off at the end of summer, this chapter started off in the spring, then the next segment was in summer, and the last segment was autumn again. So its been over a year since Dave came to stay with Rose and Kanaya... if I did not make that clear, I shall rewrite it when I am more awake! Since Dave was almost 20, when he went to see his biological mother and father's graves, he would be almost 21 now.<p>

AIR-HEAD: Fail at life

( here is a hint, guess who gets a featuring in the next chapter again? They have a chapter title the same name as the next one! )


	28. DAVE: Wakeup

DAVE: Wake Up

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><p>Dave opened his eyes, and was greeted by a pair of bright green eyes looming over him. He struggled to keep his poker-face intact, as the green-eyed girl broke into a large smile.<p>

"You sure are starting to sleep a lot." Dave muttered, grabbing her by the shoulders, and playfully pushing her down onto the mattress beside him.

The green-eyed girl giggled, her gold nightdress swirling around her as she fell beside him, snuggling her head into the pillow, "Yeah, my Uncles are getting worried I may be getting sick or something, with how many naps I am taking - or with how early I am going to bed."

Dave cracked a smile, "You shouldn't make them worry."

She laughed, "Your one to talk!"

He sighed, "Yeah. Your right."

He leaned up, and she sat up with him, leaning over to push a stray strand of hair out of his face. She grinned, "How are you feeling today?"

"Like a stray cat that just strifed with a pack of wild dogs." Dave sighed, leaning back against the wall.

The girl moved to lean against the wall beside him, bending her knees up and wrapping her arms around them, "You look better."

"And I have you to thank for that." he nodded. He turned and looked at her, "Thank you, Jade."

"Glad I could help!" She cheered, her face suddenly went serious, "You're a really dear friend to me, Dave. I don't want to lose you."

He frowned, "Yeah well, tell that to the 'Real Me'. He's the one who tried to kill himself." …and is causing me so much pain in doing so.

"I can try." Jade begged, "Tell me where you are, and I can be there in a heart beat."

Dave shook his head, "It does not matter. My 'Real Self' is not even aware of me."

"But you're his conscience!" Jade pleaded, "You have to get through to him! Tell him about us!"

"I'm just so pig-headed!" Dave complained, "I think he's starting to get vague memories of us when he wakes up, but its only a vague memory, nothing more."

"That doesn't matter!" Jade replied, "Tell me where you are, and I can go meet you. I can act like it's the first time meeting you."

Dave shook his head. It did not matter. He was too sick - the last thing he wanted was for Jade to see him how he really was.

"If you start going on about the 'dirty' thing again, I swear I will slap you!" Jade giggled,

"Oh yeah?" Dave smirked, "Just try it."

"That coming from a guy who hasn't left his bed in months!" She pointed out, wrapping her arms around Dave's arm.

He felt a shiver go up his spine as she rested her head on his shoulder. He felt her squeeze his arm tighter, her eyes slowly closing.

"I don't want to lose you." She said softly.

It took Dave a moment to realize she had started crying. He sighed and reached over to pat her on the head with his free arm. He wished he had a better way to comfort her.

Maybe he should just tell her where he is? So what if he was filthy. Memories of what Rose had told his 'Real Self' was playing through his mind. He had to find forgiveness in himself first, in order to get better. But how could he? He could tell Jade where he was, and she would immediately tell Bro, and Bro would fly down…

…He bet Bro would give half his liver to Dave in a heartbeat. Even though he nearly died because of Dave's foolishness. Of course, his Real Self's pig-headedness would never see that.

And that would be only if Bro made it to the states in time to save him, and if their blood-types matched. There was a huge possibility that they would not match, and Bro would come all the way down, in hopes of seeing his long lost brother again, only to watch him die slowly and painfully.

Dave sighed. Jade had told him how they found a body, and that the police foolishly identified it as Dave. She told him how they had a funeral for him, and told him something that damn well nearly broke his heart… Bro burying another brother. Only, the person he was burying was not his brother, but some strange kid - a kid who's parents will never know what happened to him.

Dave sighed. No. He could not do that. If Bro and Dave were not a match, and Dave ended up dying from Liver Failure… there was no way he would put Bro through that again. To Bro's knowledge, Dave was dead. There was no point in telling Bro otherwise, only to have him suffer all over again.

He made a mental promise though, that if he did get the liver transplant, and his 'Real Self' stopped being a douche about the whole situation, he would tell Jade where he was. He would let Jade bring Bro, and her uncle to New York, and he would smile as the Real Jade got to know the Real Dave…

Maybe she could show him real happiness, and real love? Something he had not had in a long time…

Forgiveness will start with himself. He would try and get through to his Real Self, and try and get him to forgive himself. Maybe after that he could go back and live with them in London? Or maybe Jade would stay in New York for awhile, and get to know his sister and her friend?

Jade's grip on his arm was loosening. She must be waking up in the real world, because she was drifting off beside him. As her arms started to loosen around him, he pulled her close, pulling her down onto the bed with him, and lay down next to her, pulling the blanket over the both of them.

Rose would wake him up in about an hour, so until then, he had nothing to do but wait. He was content though, just laying there, watching Jade smile as her beautiful eyes started to close, her hand still clasped in his.

He wondered if there would ever be a chance they could do this in real life, not in a dream.

"You really do mean a lot to me." Jade whispered, "Sometimes… I wish I could just go to sleep… and never wake up."

"Don't say that." Dave snapped, "Unlike me, you have your whole life in front of you."

"And so do you." She smiled, her voice drowsy with the onset of sleep, "I like Prospit and Derse a lot better then Earth."

"Is that so?" Dave asked,

"The colours are beautiful." She whispered, "After John left… Uncle Dirk and Uncle Jake adopted a baby… a baby girl… Uncle Dirk stays home a lot now… but he's always taking care of the baby… and Uncle Jake is with her too as soon as he comes home from work. I feel forgotten there."

"I'm sure your not forgotten." Dave felt slightly shocked at the news that his brother had adopted a baby, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he somehow felt replaced.

"So... I try to sleep whenever I can." Jade yawned, it was clear she was struggling to keep her eyes open, "You know why else I like here better?"

"Why else?" Dave asked gently, brushing her hair aside, and tucking it behind her ear,

"You're here." She said softly, "And that's why… I never want to leave."

"Me neither." Dave smiled,

"You mean that?" She muttered, her eyes finally slipping closed.

"Yes." Dave nodded, "When you disappeared for all those years… I was so alone."

She smiled, her body relaxing, "You're my best friend, Dave."

Friend. Ouch. Well, what did he expect? She only came around in her dreams, and while they talked for a year back when they were kids, they were apart for many years, and had only been back in contact for another year. But those two years were the best he has ever had! At least he was not alone…

"I love you." He whispered, kissing the top of her head, but it was clear she had fallen asleep.

He wondered if his real self could ever feel that way about her as well?

… … …

_Purr, Purr, Purr…_

Dave slowly opened his eyes, a large black cat laid beside him, purring away. He looked down at it as its large yellow eyes reflected the light from the alarm clock beside him. The alarm read 9:05.

That was strange. Rose usually woke him up around eight to make sure he took his medication and drank some water… why hadn't she today? A wave of fear spread through him. Did something happen? He was about to sit up, when the door opened.

"Dave?"

Dave sighed with relief, and relaxed. Good, because sitting up caused him a lot of pain. He laid there as Rose entered the room with a couple of pill bottles, and a glass of water.

"Sup?" He asked,

"Ah, so you are awake?" She said, "Good morning."

"Aren't you late for work?" He asked,

"I am taking the day off." She stated, sitting down on the side of the bed, "Have a good rest?"

He tried to shrug, but was unsuccessful, "I think so? I think I was having a dream about that girl in gold again, but I can't really remember it?"

Rose nodded, and helped him to lean up, propping him up with pillows. He winced a few times as she adjusted him, before she handed him the glass of water, and started opening the pill bottles. He made a face as three different types of pills fell into Rose's palm, and she handed them over to him.

As he swallowed them, one by one, she started speaking, "How are you feeling today?"

Like shit. But of course he was not going to say that. "Like a fucking ray of sunshine."

"Good." She nodded, "Because Kanaya thought today would be a good day to go out on a family picnic."

"A picnic?" Dave asked,

"Yes." She sighed, "This may be our last chance. Do you feel up to it?"

No. But of course he was not going to say that either. "Sure."

She nodded and stood up again, "That is good, because Kanaya already left to pick up stuff for the picnic, and I assure you, it will be stuff light enough for you to handle eating."

The thought of eating made him feel sick. But yet again, he was not going to say that. He smirked, "Sweet."

"I shall leave you to get dressed then." She said, turning and walking from the room, "Come Jasper, you are probably hungry."

Rose's large cat jumped down from the bed with a meow, and followed her out of the room. He leaned back against his pillows, wishing he could remember what he dreamt about. Something in the back of his mind nagged at him about it… but no matter how hard he tried, he could not remember nothing more then a girl in gold…

With a sigh, he slowly eased himself out of the bed. Moving was getting harder by the day. He was starting to debate whether or not this was all worth it, but Rose still had her hopes up that either the two people in front of him would die, and he would get the liver, or one would die, one would get this liver, and another donor will get sick.

It was kind of morbid, but that was the only thing they had to go on.

Mentally though, Dave was starting to give up. Or, more so he never really had much faith to begin with. All Rose's and Kanaya's optimism had started to affect him, and ever since Rose and him had that talk by their parent's tombstones, he had been seriously thinking about just going through with the surgery.

Even though he did this to himself, even though he killed his brother, liver, and self respect… even though he had lost everything he had ever held dear… there was still a chance he could still find some reason to go on. Maybe there wasn't a reason for him to live right now, but maybe in the future there would be?

He sighed. What was the point of thinking that way? There was no future for him. He was a filthy prostitute. Even if he lived through this, got the new liver, got the money his biological mother left him, and started over… it did not change the fact that no woman would ever love him - not after finding out what he was. He would probably never have a family… No! That was no way to think! That was just depression talking… he wondered if he should mention that to Rose? No… she was a therapist and probably already knew that. He had been depressed since his brother died, and that trucker stole his innocence.

He quickly got dressed, thinking about the girl in gold from his dream. Who was she? Why could he not get her out of his mind, even though he could barely even remember what she looked like? Why did he feel it was so important to remember her?

So many why's… it seems the maybes were replaced by whys. That wasn't helping. He sighed and grabbed his cane, before walking off towards where Rose would be waiting for him.

Time to get our motherfucking picnic on!

* * *

><p>ROSE: Deal with your stubborn brother<p>

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><p>In which Dream Dave falls for Dream Jade...<p>

/SHAMELESS SHIPPING!

ANYWAY! Moving on, there was SO MUCH FORESHADOWING in this chapter… SO MUCH! /fails

I NEED to stop listening to 'Death Cab for Cutie, I Will Follow You' when I am writing, or 'Goodbye May Seem Forever'

I also need to stop listening to all those sadstuck videos when I write…

Why am I pumping out so many chapters? I dunno… bored… and I really don't want to sleep. Don't know why, but I haven't slept since Tuesday, and my laptop broke, so I can't do any art till I get that fixed…

And I had so many art projects I was working on right now! SO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE!

I contacted my comp tech, and I am waiting for a response, I shall have my computer fixed asap!


	29. ROSE: Deal With Stubborn Brother

No, I have not completed writing the story yet, I upload as I go. I just type fast XD - and I am totally watching TV as I type too : D

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><p>ROSE: Deal With Stubborn Brother.<p>

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><p>Taking Dave out to the lake was a bad idea. Very bad. Why hadn't she realized that before?<p>

Rose sat on a blanket that Kanaya had gracefully placed under the shade of a large tree. Dave was leaning against the tree, his eyes closed, and breathing the fresh air in deeply. There was no way he could enjoy the calm, late summer afternoon. It had taken them to eleven o'clock for Kanaya to come back with the groceries, for her to cook them up, and for Dave to get ready to go. They had reached the campground at noon, and now here they were, sitting beside the lake, nestled on the soft grass.

While Kanaya and Rose picked at their food, Dave did not even touch his.

"I think it would be in your best interest to eat." Rose pointed out. He did not respond. She sighed and nibbled on the spiceless chicken Kanaya had prepared. Something light and easy for Dave to stomach. For a moment, Rose thought he may have fallen asleep again, but the moment she thought that, she saw his face contort in pain.

"Is something wrong, Dave?" She asked,

"No." But his tone of voice said otherwise.

"Shall we head home then?" She asked,

"No." He groaned through clenched teeth.

Kanaya stood up, "Rose, may I speak to you for a second?"

"Certainly." She nodded, "We shall be right back Dave."

He did not respond.

Kanaya lightly grabbed Rose's hand, and led her friend away from the tree where Dave sat, and off onto the sand of the beach. When they both stood on the sand, she turned around and grabbed Rose's other hand, holding them both firmly, her expression laced with concern.

"Rose." She whispered, "I think its time."

Rose nodded, knowing exactly what Kanaya meant, "You know Dave would hate to be hospitalized."

"I don't think that matters anymore." She stated, "Look at him Rose. He is in so much pain… the hospital can take that away. I can't bare to see him suffer like this anymore."

Rose looked down at her hands, still clenched within Kanaya's, "Nor can I…"

"But?" Kanaya asked,

"But I cannot bare to think of him spending the last of his days stuck in a hospital." She whispered,

"You've done all you can to make him comfortable." Kanaya begged, "Its time to let go."

Rose sighed, "I suppose you are right."

"I know its hard," Kanaya sighed, pulling Rose in for a hug, "You were looking for him for so long."

Rose sighed again, and wrapped her arms around her, "How should we proceed?"

"He's too sick to argue." Kanaya stated, "Just look at him."

Rose nodded, she turned around and started back to where Dave sat, leaning against the tree. He was very thin. In the first few months after he had came to live with them, he had started to gain weight, and started to look healthier… but now he looked almost as bad as when he started. His skin was growing yellow again, and his bones jutted out of his skin in a sickly way. She looked at his hollowed out face, and realized that if this had never happened, he would have probably been quite beautiful.

"Dave, are you awake?" She whispered, leaning down in front of him. He grunted, but did not move. She lied, "I think its time we took you home."

"No." He was panting, "Enjoy your picnic… just ignore me."

"We are going home." Rose said in a final tone, "Can you stand?"

"Don't fucking baby me." He snapped, pushing against the tree to try and push himself to his feet, "Like I told you before, I don't need your fucking charity."

Rose nodded, she reached over anyway to help him stand, when he suddenly cried out in pain and doubled over.

"Dave!" She gasped, she could hear Kanaya running over behind them, as her brother collapsed in her arms, clenching his sides and screaming in pain.

Going on this picnic was a bad idea.

… … …

It had been hours. Hours of waiting in the Hospital's Waiting Room. She had sat in a chair, nervously knitting a red and orange scarf.

"That is an interesting colour palette you have chosen this time, Rose."

Rose looked up as she saw Kanaya re-enter the waiting room, carrying two cups of that cheap, tar-tasting coffee they sold at the small coffee shop within the hospital. Rose nodded a thanks as she handed her a cup.

"This is for Dave." Rose promised, "I know he will like these colours."

"I believe you are right." Kanaya nodded, "I bet he will love it."

"Thank you." Rose sighed, placing the knitting down to take a sip of the coffee.

The two sat there in silence for what felt like all day. The afternoon had already turned to evening, and the sky was growing steadily more dark. She felt Kanaya's head rest against her shoulder, and let her friend drift off as she continued to knit.

When the sky was completely dark, and Rose could see the stars through the windows of the Waiting Room, the door to the Emergency finally opened.

"Ms. Lalonde?" A Nurse said, poking her head out from between the doors. Rose gently shook Kanaya awake, and the two stood up. Rose quickly put the scarf in her purse and headed off after the nurse.

The Nurse led them up three flights of stairs until they reached a room. She pushed the door open and ushered Rose and Kanaya in. "The Doctor will be here to talk to you shortly."

Rose nodded, "Thank you."

The Nurse did not reply, she just turned and shut the door, leaving the two women locked in. Rose turned away from the door and walked over to the curtained off area of the room, pushing the curtains open to look inside. The sight inside nearly made her weak in the knees.

Dave was laying in the bed, a respirator attached to his face, and tubes sticking out of his arm. His eyes were closed, and his body was frightenly still. Rose pushed up a chair to his bedside, barely aware of Kanaya doing the same thing.

Mechanically, Rose reached out and grabbed his hand. It was cold… and deep within Rose, she felt something snap. Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. She tried to shield her face from Kanaya, but the other girl knew her too well. Rose felt her friend grab her free hand, and give it a light squeeze.

All her life, Rose had been waiting to meet her brother. She would wait out front as a child, or stay up late at night and wonder where he was, if he was still alive. She would lay in bed, and imagine him coming up from the blue, walking up their driveway with a large smile. Every time the phone rang, a little spark in her chest would wish it was either her brother, or whoever took her brother in. The moment her mother died, she immediately hired a private investigator to find him… but had quickly lost hope after he had found no leads came up - well, no leads until an anonymous tipster pointed her in the right direction…

As she got older, she always imagined this could be the case. She had seen it happen over and over again as a therapist. Children flourish under the wing of their birth parents, and crime rates in children who a - for some circumstance or another - are removed from their birth parents, dramatically rise. She always wondered if one of the poor saps who sat on her couch, and cried about their lives to her was her brother. But none had ever been.

And how here he was, laying in a hospital bed…

It was too much. She felt her shoulders shake, but struggled to keep still. Kanaya wrapped her arms around Rose comfortingly, and she unconsciously leaned into her friend.

The door finally opened again, and Rose jumped a little. Kanaya released her, as the two turned their heads to watch the Doctor walk back in.

"Good evening, Ms. Lalonde, Ms. Maryam." He said flatly,

"What happened to him?" Rose asked.

The Doctor pulled up a chair, "Remember last year, when I told you his kidneys were slightly damaged as well?"

"But not as bad as his liver." Rose finished.

"Yes." He nodded, "Well, the toxin's in his blood, that his liver can no longer filter out, are doing a number on them. One kidney is failing."

"Well then, take one of mine." Rose snapped,

"If it was that simple Rose," The Doctor sighed, "We would also ask if you were willing to spare half your liver." She frowned, but he continued talking, "Though you two are twins, you are not identical twins, you are fraternal twins. Which explains the different eye colours, and body height, and etcetera. You both also have different blood types. Your organs will not work in his body. There is no need to panic yet, his other kidney is still functioning at about seventy percent."

Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but before she could say anything, the doctor continued talking.

"Though, it may be a good idea to get Rick to make a final will… just in case."

"In the state he is in now, how long does he have?" Rose asked, struggling to keep all emotion from her voice,

"Anywhere between a few weeks, to a few months. The failing kidney is still running at about, twenty percent." He stated, "So who knows? If we keep him on kidney and liver dialysis, we may possible squeeze a year out of him."

"And how long will it take for a new liver to become available?" Rose pleaded,

"In his state, we can probably push his papers further. We will try and get him a new liver as soon as possible Ms. Lalonde."

"Thank you." Rose nodded.

She looked back at Dave, "Just out of curiosity, and you don't have to give me names, but what are the state of the other two patients waiting for the liver?"

"Well, you are in luck with one." The Doctor explained, "A family member finally stepped up and offered one of them half his liver. The other one is a kid who was born with a defective liver. I am sure he can hold off longer then Rick can."

"He must not know of that." Rose said. If Dave knew that the other patient was someone who 'did not put himself there', he would never accept the liver… though at this point, Rose was willing to overpower him and force him into the surgery.

"When will he wake up?" Rose jumped. She had totally forgotten Kanaya still sat beside her, So when she spoke, it startled her.

"Not until tomorrow." The Doctor promised, "We have him on some heavy narcotics because of the liver and kidney dialysis. You two could probably go home, we will call you if there are any changes."

Rose nodded, standing up, "Thank you. We shall be back first thing in the morning."

He nodded, getting up to open the door for them.

She was suddenly glad her mother left so much alcohol in the house… because she was going to need it.

* * *

><p>DAVE: Explore Prospit<p> 


	30. DAVE: Explore Prospit

DAVE: Explore Prospit

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><p>"And here is the beautiful library! A library Dave! Isn't it cool?" Jade cheered, her voice bubbly with excitement as she held tightly onto Dream Dave's hand, and led him through Prospit. He had never been here before, but he thought it would be fair to check it out… since she was always coming to Derse to take care of his sorry ass.<p>

She squeezed Dave's hand tighter, and pulled him through the streets, giggling, "Isn't it all beautiful?"

Dave was not looking anywhere but her, his eyes seemed to be glued to her, "Yeah… beautiful."

Jade stopped pulling him and turned around, her happy expression suddenly turning to worry, "Are you ok, Dave?"

Dave blinked a few times, startled by her sudden mood swing, "Yeah. Fine. Why?"

She frowned, looking down at her gold-slipper clad feet, "This is the first time you've been out of your room in a very long time. If your tired, I could always take you back to my place to rest?"

"Whoa!" Dave smirked, "Inviting me to your bedroom already? Shouldn't you take me out for dinner first?"

"Why? Are you hungry?" Jade asked, the sarcasm in Dave's voice going straight over her head.

"No." He tried hard to hide the amusement in his tone, "Come on, keep showing me around."

"Ok!" She cheered, grabbing his hand again and pulling him along.

Dave felt his face heat up as she tugged him through the golden streets, glad she was not facing him so she could not see the blush that was probably starting to darken his ears. He suddenly wanted her… wanted to hold her, be with her…do stuff to her… his entire body screamed for him to just tell her where he was.

Should he? He could tell her, and then ask her to come down alone… not tell Bro until he was healthy again? But of course she would tell him… not telling Bro wasn't really fair to him was it? Hell… maybe he should just tell her…

"Dave?"

Crap! Dave looked up and saw her staring at him, her face still laced with worry. He should tell her…shouldn't he? Screw this self-loathing crap. He was a Strider! It was time to get his long-lost swag back…

"Are you sure you're ok, Dave?" Jade asked,

Dave opened his mouth, and for a second, he thought nothing would come up, until he finally forced himself to speak, "Sup?"

She giggled, "Your being silly again, aren't you?"

"Nah, Babe." He smirked, "Completely serious right here. Its like seriousness came and made a motherfucking nest in my chest. It likes the view, and is here to stay."

She giggled, "Your silly, Dave!"

He shrugged.

She started pulling him through Prospit again. Dave smiled. He had been asleep for over twelve hours now. It seemed like he slept a lot more now that he was put in the hospital. Of course, his Real-Self was pissed about it, but at least now he was out of pain. Jade had slept over eight already herself. He knew it would not be long until she either woke up, or one of her Uncles woke her up, or the baby crying would wake her up…

The baby…

That was all he could think about since she told him. Bro had a new kid to look after now. Yeah. He could not tell her where he was yet. Bro could not fly all the way down here with a baby, and take care of the infant while Dave rotted in a hospital bed. He would wait until he was better… he was going to get better right? Rose will find a way to make him better…

Who the fuck was he kidding? Even he had given up hope on ever getting better again, never mind the lost cause that was his Real-Self.

"Dave." Jade sighed, suddenly slowing to a stop.

"What's up?" He asked.

She turned around, looking at him again, "I know you won't tell me where you are right now…"

Oh crap. Can she read his mind?

"…but we will be heading to the states next week." She finished.

Dave felt his heart skip a beat in shock, and suddenly he felt very cold, "Oh… yeah?"

She nodded, "Apparently… John got his girlfriend knocked up in their first year together… John keeps telling Uncle Jake that she swore she was on the pill… I think she was lying because she wants into the family… but, they decided they want to get married before the baby is born."

Dave felt his eyes widen, "Oh?"

"I bet it would make John very happy if you showed up for the wedding…" She blushed, looking everywhere but Dave's face.

"Jade… I…" Dave stuttered,

"And me." She whispered, "It would make me very happy too…"

"I can't Jade." Dave unconsciously reached out and grabbed her hands, pulling them up between them, and clenching them tightly, "You have to understand…"

"No I don't!" She cried, "I'm tired of you saying how unworthy you are! Your not worthless, or filthy, or anything! You're my best friend and I love you!"

Dave felt her words like a slap to the face, and it caused him to blush as well. God only knew how badly he suddenly wanted to go… but he couldn't. He wanted to swoop down and kiss her, tell her it would be alright… and at the same time, he wanted to slap her and yell at her that 'Hey! I'm dying! I am hooked up to machines in the hospital, and I can't go anywhere!'

But instead he said:

"I love you too."

Fuck. Smooth move Strider. Real Smooth.

Tears welled up in Jade's eyes, and she wrapped her arms around him, "I can hear Dove crying…"

"Dove?" Dave asked,

"My step-sister…the baby." Jade grinned, "Please Dave… at least try to come to the wedding? I can pick you up and everything!"

"Its in Washington, right?" Dave asked.

She shook her head, "Her crying is starting to wake me up…"

"We'd better get you home then." Dave sighed, swooping down and picking her up, bridal-style, with one arm under her legs, and the other supporting her back.

She giggled, though her eyes were starting to droop sleepily, "Texas."

The name send a shiver down his spine, "What?"

Jade yawned, "John and Vriska… decided to have the wedding in…Texas… it's the place they first met, and Vriska's parents are there."

"I'm guessing you mean, Houston Texas?" Dave sighed.

She nodded, nestling her head into the crook of Dave's neck.

Fuck. She wanted him to go back… back home… to the place he swore he would never go again…

… … …

Dave slowly opened his eyes, and when he did, he was not surprised to see the white-tiled ceiling of the hospital. He was tired, and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. He could feel the morphine pumping through his veins, and it made him dizzy, the constant beeping noise of the machinery going from an annoying background noise, to a soothing calming one. For the first time ever, he could remember his dream. Well, at least only the last half of it. He could remember standing there, the girl in gold, Jade, hugging him, telling him about a wedding, and that she loved him. He could not remember anything before it, or after it… but for some reason, that point of the dream was vivid in front of his eyes.

"Good morning."

Dave jumped a little. He turned his head and fought back a smile when he saw his sister sitting there. It looked like she had just finished knitting something, the garment was complete on her lap, folded neatly. He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was dry. Nothing but a raspy breath came out.

"Are you thirsty?" Rose asked. He nodded. She reached over and grabbed a container of Apple Juice from the bedside table, "I thought you would be. You gave us all quite a scare, Strider."

"Sorry." He whispered, reaching out to grab the apple juice from her, "Where is Kanaya?"

"At work." Rose promised.

"Oh." Dave muttered.

Rose waited until he finished drinking the juice, before grabbing the empty container from him, and setting it aside. She grabbed the scarf from her lap, "I knitted this for you."

Dave's eyes widened, "Seriously?"

"Yes." She nodded, wrapping the scarf loosely around his neck, "Do you like it?"

"I love it. Thanks sis." Dave nodded. It was warm and soft. He nestled down into it.

After an awkward silence, Dave finally spoke up, "Rose… I heard what you said to the doctor."

"You were supposed to be unconscious." She snapped,

"Yeah, well. I heard it." Dave retorted, "And I don't want the surgery."

Her violet eyes widened, "What?"

"I'll sign a no-op agreement or whatever they are called." He said, "Let the kid have the liver."

"Dave." She snapped, "If you do not have this surgery, as soon as possible, you will die."

"Even with a new liver," Dave replied, "My kidneys are shot. I would get a new liver, just to let sit around and wait for a new kidney."

Rose looked like she was about to argue, when her mouth suddenly snapped shut. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before saying, "Then what do you want to do?"

"Get me out of this fucking hospital." Dave retorted.

"And then what?" She asked,

"What?" He replied.

"What after that?"

"What?" He repeated.

Rose paused to take a deep breath, apparently collecting her thoughts, before she asked, "I'm asking you, what is your final wishes?"

Final wishes… the word sounded weird in Dave's ears. He understood what she meant though… whether he stayed or went though, there was a high chance he was going to die… regardless of whether or not he stayed in the hospital. The only difference would be how much pain he was going to be in.

He would not spend the last of his days stuck in the hospital.

"Rose." He said softly,

"Yes?" She asked, her fingers clasped tightly over her lap,

"Remember…last y-year… when you asked… me w-where I wanted…my grave to be…" His voice sounded detached from his own ears, like he was listening to someone else speak.

It was weird. He sounded weak and feeble. His voice was raspy and cracking as he talked, and he found himself gasping for breath after each sentence.

Rose's hands clenched around themselves tighter, "Yes. Have you made your decision?"

"Home." Dave whispered.

"Home?" She repeated.

Dave swallowed. He felt like there was a lump in his throat, the morphine taking over his mind, "B-back…home… Texas. I want to…want to be…buried…next…to…my…Bro."

He was fighting to stay conscious, feeling his mind slipping further and further under the drowsing effects on his body. Rose nodded, reaching out and grabbing his hand, giving it a light squeeze. He tried to squeeze her hand back, but couldn't find the energy. Fuck this! There was no way he was spending what was left of his life in a drug induced coma.

"Rose… I want…to go…home." He could hear the pleading tone in his voice, and he hated it, "I want to see it…one…more…time."

Rose nodded again, "I shall book the tickets immediately."

"Thank…you." Dave said in an out-breath, as his mind slipped back into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>ROSE: Go to Texas<p>

* * *

><p>You can all hate me now :' (<p>

Anyway, as we draw closer to the end of this story, I feel like I have been neglecting my other one… its only because, yeah, we are getting close to the end of this story. Once I finish this story, I will go back to alternating chapters.

That being said, I'll open a poll or something, taking suggestions for whatever you want me to write after this one… I am kind of thinking a funny fic, something with satire, or humour… but it could be whatever you want. I'm up for ideas : ) No matter how silly, perverted, stupid, or awesome it is. You can PM me your suggestions, or respond to the poll or whatever.

There is still a few more chapters to go in this fic, so don't worry, its not over yet!


	31. ROSE: Go to Texas

So, just a quick recap! Dave still thinks Dirk is dead, but Dirk is actually still alive and living in London with Jake and Jade. John is going to school in Washington, BUT is coming down with Vriska to get married in Texas. Dirk, Jake, Jade, and Dove will all be coming down for John's wedding, and Rose will be taking Dave to Texas as well.

...wow. Laid out like that, this sounds like a shitty soap opera XD

* * *

><p>ROSE: Go to Texas<p>

* * *

><p>Getting Dave on a plane was impossible. The airports did not want him boarding with how sick he looked, and even when Rose and Kanaya convinced them that he was not contagious, they were worried about his state of health in a plane. After their third attempt to board failed, Kanaya decided it would probably be in their best interest to drive.<p>

The drive from New York to Texas was approximately a day and a half of straight driving. Rose was worried what a long trip like that would do on Dave's body, but Rose made sure to give Dave his medications before they left, and he ended up sleeping nearly half the drive there.

_A storm front is sweeping the lower regions of the United States, thunderstorms could be found in several cities across the board including…_

Rose started to ignore the radio. The rain pounded outside her window, just listening to the weather report for Houston. Apparently there was a thunderstorm there as well. Lightning flashed overhead, and Kanaya sighed as she turned the windshield wipers up a notch. Thunder boomed over top of them. The road was dead, save for a rare car passing by them.

"I am surprised he can sleep through this." Kanaya said, an edge to her voice as she directed the car through the storm.

Rose looked back behind her, Dave was laying across the back seat, a thick blanket thrown over him. He was sleeping so deeply that when the car went over a bump, and it jostled him, he did not even stir.

They were only a few hours away from Texas now. She was tired. She leaned her head back against the seat.

"Did you want to stop for the night in the next city?" Kanaya asked,

"No." Rose shook her head, "We're almost at the boarder now. We'll be in Houston by nightfall."

Kanaya nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on the road.

By the time they reached the Texas boarder, the storm had started to quiet down. Rose wondered if they were just in the eye of the storm. They were heading down a three lined highway, with many logging truck off branches. She could not help but wonder if Dave remembered this road? This was the same highway he used when he ran away. How he made it this far away from Texas alive was a wonder to her. He never said how he got from Houston to New York.

There was a grunt from the backseat, and Rose turned around and saw Dave open his eyes. He tried to lean up, but seemed to think better of it, and snuggled down.

"We're in Texas now Dave." Rose said softly,

"Seriously? Shit. How long was I out for?" He muttered,

"A couple of hours." Rose shrugged,

"No shit. Last I remember we were in Tennessee." He blinked a few times - either trying to stay awake, or trying to collect his thoughts.

"Are you in any pain?" She asked, "Do you need any more medication?"

"No." Dave spat, "No more drugs…ever."

Rose smiled. She wished he had learned that lesson years ago.

"Are we going to go to the Houston Hospital?" Kanaya asked as they pulled into a city, "Oh and Dave, please keep your head down while in the city limits."

"Why?" He muttered.

"So we don't get a ticket, since you are not sitting properly in your seat." She replied,

"I can sit up?" His voice sounded heavy, still half asleep.

"No." Kanaya said, "Just lay back and relax."

The city came and went around them, as quickly as the others. Rose had no interest in them. She knew she would never again come to this state. She looked out the window. Only a short year ago, she had found Dave… laying in a pool of his own bodily fluids, his life slipping away as he overdosed. Back then, she did not know what to think.

Kanaya pulled up to a gas station and stepped out of the car to fill the tank. She smiled at Rose, before slipping into the store.

She looked back, either Dave had fallen asleep again, or he was about to. She sighed, just looking at his yellow, thin face made her sad. They met what seemed like such a short time ago… and she could not help but feel, he needed her. When she sat beside his bedside, she saw his face when he realized he still had family. Yes. They were family, and he needed her. The next few weeks sent everyone on edge, but it was strange. Even though there was constant fighting, as Dave suffered through his withdrawal, there had been happy times as well. Times Rose would take Dave out for a walk, times they would go shopping together, times when they would just sit and talk…

It was strange, having someone depend so much on her. She had never been a mother, and never felt the feeling of having someone's life depend on her.

Dave let out a sigh, and Rose knew he was asleep. She reached back and pushed his blanket up to his chin again. When did she get so soft?

And then, she realized… she will miss this. She will miss 'doting' on her brother.

She needed him, as much as he needed her.

The realization was like a ton of bricks had hit her in the chest, and she felt her eyes water up. She needed him too. After he left her… what would she do then? What would she do with her spare time if it wasn't taking care of Dave? All her spare time for the last year was spent on him, and even before that, it was trying to find him.

She would miss his sarcastic quips, the faces he would make at her every time she tried to talk him into going to the doctor… the arguments they would have over little things, the way he got excited over the even smaller things, like eating at a restaurant, or a homemade sweater…

When they left New York… she thought it would be easy, to say good bye. She thought she could do it without blinking an eyelash. He had made her household more hectic then it had ever been before…

But now she knew she couldn't. The thought of Dave being nothing more then a memory haunted her to no end. It was not fair! After all these years of searching for him… she would only spend one hellish year with him…

"Rose…" Dave whispered.

"Yes, Dave." She replied, slightly startled that he was still awake.

"Thank you." He muttered, "For everything."

"Do not mention it." She nodded, feeling a tear actually leave her eye. She was suddenly grateful Dave's eyes were still closed, "This is what family does for each other."

"I owe you…everything." He said, "If it wasn't for you, I would have died on the floor of that shitty apartment… and this would never be happening."

Rose wondered briefly if that would have been better.

"I am glad…" He whispered, "That I got to meet you… and Kanaya."

"Me too, Dave." She reached over and patted his leg, "I will always remember you. No matter what."

"When I die… I want you to keep whatever money I have left." He said with a soft smile.

Rose frowned, "Let us not get ahead of ourselves, Strider."

The door opened, startling Rose, she turned as Kanaya got back into the car.

"Sorry about that. Shall we go?" She asked.

Rose sighed, nestling back into her seat, "Yes. Let us leave."

"When we get to Texas, shall I stop by the hospital?" Kanaya asked, buckling herself in,

"No." Dave muttered from the backseat.

Kanaya clenched her jaw and nodded, "So be it."

And she put the car in gear.

"It appears we may be in Houston before nightfall after all." Kanaya promised, "Where shall our first stop be then?"

"The Graveyard." Rose said flatly, feeling her skin crawl as she said that. She stopped and looked behind her as Dave's eyes slowly reopened. She reached back and brushed his hair away from his face, "I know there is someone there, that Dave would want to visit."

* * *

><p>TEREZI: Pay your respects<p> 


	32. TEREZI: Pay your respects

TEREZI: Pay your respects

* * *

><p>"Terezi, its fucking raining piss out here. I wouldn't be a bit surprised - knowing my shitty luck - to get struck by lightning or something and miss my board meeting tomorrow! Look! The rain is soaking right through my suit! Look at this Terezi! I will need to get it dry cleaned now."<p>

"Oh hush!" Terezi smirked.

She did not know why, but for some reason, while she sat at home, watching the television, she had a sudden urge to visit the graveyard. She felt as if life or death depended on it.

Which was silly, because a graveyard is a place you go for death, not for life. But that did not change her optimism while she preened herself in her reflection in the car window, as her husband held an umbrella over their heads.

She smiled at her reflection. In high-school she had decided to grow her hair out, and now it hung behind her in a lose ponytail. She had changed out of her sweat pants and tank top, to dress up a little more formally - since she was visiting a dear old friend. She had slid on a knee-length skirt, and a blouse, which was quickly getting damp, becoming see-through and showing her bra underneath it. Yup. That was her, a real classy broad she turned out to be.

She smiled as she pushed a loose strand of hair back. Dave's death had done a number on her personally. Though it did a number on everyone. She saw nothing of Sollux or Feferi after that, and to her knowledge, Gamzee had ended up joining Jack's gang for more access to Sopor.

That stuff…

Terezi made a face in the window. The moment she found out about Dave, she instantly quit the stuff and never touched it again.

"Terezi!" Her husband behind her complained, "Come on. I'm cold, I'm wet, and I am missing the game."

Terezi turned around and kissed him on the cheek, "Ok, Karkles. We won't be long." She turned away from him, and reached into the car to pull out a bouquet of flowers.

Karkat grumbled behind her. She did not have to tell him to dress up for the occasion. Nowadays, Karkat lived in his suit. He had cut his hair, and slicked it back. Dave's death probably had the biggest reaction on Karkat. He blamed himself for years, but fought back the depression in order to help her through her own. He focused on school after that, trying to get into the best University, Houston had to offer. He had fought long and hard to get into the business field. He was a natural leader, and had quickly climbed up to CEO of a major corporation. Back before Dave died, Terezi would have never imagined Karkat working for a bank…

She reached over and grabbed his hand. He had been there for her, when she needed someone the most. She blamed herself as well, for so many years. She had been the one to invite him over for the night when she had a party… a party she threw. She was the one who took her eyes off the pies… she was the one in the woods chasing after him, and turned her back on him…

Clenching the bouquet tightly in one hand, and Karkat's tightly in the other, she started walking through the soggy grass. Her heels sank into the mud, but she ignored it. Karkat held the umbrella over both of their heads, and she snuggled closer to him, to keep as much rain as possible off of them.

The weather report said it was supposed to rain for the next two days, and a giant thunderstorm was supposed to come in tomorrow. She sighed and looked over at Karkat. After all he did for her, in High School, when he had finally had the courage to ask her out, she did not hesitate to say yes. And now here they were, husband and wife, walking hand in hand in a graveyard to visit the boy who made this all possible.

Boy… it sounded strange to say that, since Dave was the same age as she was… but unlike herself, he never had the chance to grow up…

She suddenly stopped walking, so fast that Karkat out stepped her, and the rain poured down over her head.

"Terezi?" Karkat asked, "Dave's grave is this way…"

"I miss him." She cried. She was actually crying… tears were mixing with the rain on her face.

"Awe." Karkat whispered, walking back and wrapping his arms around her, "Is that why you came out here?"

She nodded into his chest, "Its not fair… he was so young…"

"I miss him too." Karkat whispered,

"Don't lie… you hated him." She cried,

"No." He sighed, "That was all a show, a power-struggle between the two of us that sort of got… out of hand. Thinking back… I never really hated him. It was all a show of power for… you."

"Me?" She asked,

"Dave and I were fighting…" Karkat explained, "Over you."

"Well that makes me feel a whole lot better." She snapped sarcastically.

"Come on," He said, stroking her hair, "Let's give Dave his crappy flowers, and get somewhere warm."

"Hey!" Terezi playfully hit him, "These flowers aren't crappy! I worked very hard on picking out the best ones!"

Karkat just smiled at her. For a moment, she thought he was going to continue the discussion, but he just smiled and grabbed her hand, leading her through the mud to where the Strider's had their graves.

There were four graves, sticking out of the mud. Terezi looked at them, one by one. Mr. and Mrs. Strider… she had never known them. They had died before she even met the Striders… Dave Strider Sr… he had died before she met them as well… and then…

Her eyes fell to the fourth and final grave…

Dave Strider Jr.

1995-2008

Taken From This World Far Too soon

Rest In Peace Lil Bro

Until We Meet Again

...

The grave was tattered with grass clippings and debris. Terezi bent down into the mud, passing Karkat the flowers, as she started to clean the grave up. She let out a deep sob as she scrapped the moss off of Dave's name… chipping away at the dirt that had settled in the grooves of the stone.

It appears no one had visited him in a very long time.

Behind her, Terezi was aware of the sound of paper crinkling, but she ignored it. She could barely see through her tears. A hand rested on her shoulder and she choked out another sob. She looked up as Karkat handed her half the bouquet.

"Thank you." She cried. She finished cleaning off the grave, and stood up.

"Sorry… bud." Karkat whispered, looking at the grave and grabbing hold of Terezi's free hand again, "For not visiting you in a few years."

Had it really been years since they had visited Dave's grave? Suddenly, Terezi felt like a horrible person. She squeezed Karkat's hand again.

"I know you never really liked them… but we brought you flowers." She tried to smile, bending down again. This time, Karkat kneeled with her.

"Her idea." Karkat smirked, "I would have brought you a beer."

"Karkat!" Terezi chuckled.

"What?" He sighed, placing his half of the bouquet into the flower holder next to the grave.

She sighed and shook her head, her wet hair falling into her face. The rain had lightened up, and was now no more then a mist. It was still heavy enough to have her soaking wet though. Slowly, she followed Karkat's example, and put all but three flowers back with the rest of them.

"What are you doing with those?" Karkat asked.

Terezi smiled, standing up and walking over to the other graves. They were in the same state Dave's was. She put a flower on each of them, "I think all the Strider's deserve one."

Karkat nodded, getting up to help her clean off the graves.

After all graves were cleaned, and the flowers were set, Terezi straightened up again. She knew she had that feeling earlier… and her instinct was never wrong… but, there was no one here. She sighed and let Karkat wrap his arm over her shoulder.

"Good bye Dave." She whispered.

"Bye." Karkat nodded.

He turned, leading her away from the graves. Terezi did not want to go. She still felt like someone needed her to stay… but there was no one there… she was cold, and tired, and all she wanted was to lay down and sleep.

They walked back towards the parking lot, when a blue Impala pulled in, parking across the way from where Karkat had parked his car. By the time they reached the entrance to the Graveyard, the other people in the car were already out. There was three people. None of them seemed prepared for the weather, and none of them looked too bothered about getting wet.

Terezi's eyes fell to a tall, lanky man. He was clearly sick… maybe even dying. His eyes were covered by some too-familiar looking aviators, and he was leaning heavily on a cane. A blonde woman, who looked like she could have been his sister, offered to help him, but he refused.

The three turned away from the car, and walked towards the entrance that Terezi and Karkat were just leaving.

"Probably letting him pick where he wants his grave." Karkat whispered into her ear. She felt a shiver go up her spine at the thought.

Her eyes lingered on the tall blonde man. He looked so familiar… but she just could not place it… and then finally, their eyes met. Well, at least that was what she thought, since she could not see through his shades, but he had froze, and was staring at her, until the two woman with him, ushered him forward.

"Karkat…" She whispered, "Who does that remind you of?"

"Some sap about to die?" He said, but his eyes were also locked on the blonde. He shook his head, "Terezi… no! Its not possible. Let's get out of the rain."

He led her forward, they were just in front of each other now, and Terezi shot the blonde a smile, which he did not respond. She frowned, and as they passed by them, she said, "Hi." Which she got no response to either.

Karkat was right… that was just wishful thinking.

Dave was dead. End of story…

But… something was still nagging at the back of her head…

* * *

><p>DAVE: Pay your respects<p>

* * *

><p>I was writing this while listening to Goodbye May Seem Forever again... and I am overly tired, since I should have been in bed two hours ago... but here I am... got two chapters done... now I sleep D:<p>

The mix between the overly-sad song, the sad theme of this chapter, and the lack of sleep brought me to emotion... so I hope it does the same for you all, without the sad music, or lack of sleep. But then again, I have seen a parent have to bury their own child, and I have seen what it does to a parent to have to make a tombstone for their child... so yeah, I did get emotional when I was writing Dave's grave out.


	33. DAVE: Pay your respects

DAVE: Pay your respects

* * *

><p>"And this is the castle, Dave!" Jade cheered, she twirled around in the courtyard. The guards nearby did not even bat an eyelash at her, but they watched him suspiciously. He wondered if it was because of the purple pyjamas.<p>

"Neat." He said, walking up to her, and grabbing one of her hands, stopping her from twirling around.

She giggled as she spun into him, "Dance with me Dave!"

He felt his face heat up, "I… don't dance."

"Oh come on!" Jade cheered, "You were telling me about all those cool parties you used to go to as a kid, you must have learned some dance moves there?"

Ok, now his face must be really red. He coughed, "That was… a different kind of dancing. I don't think it would be appropriate for this kind of setting."

"Don't be so stingy! I bet you're a wonderful dancer!" Jade chuckled, "Come on, just put your hands on my hips, and let me lead then!"

Dave's eyes trailed down her torso, watching the curve of her hips, imagining his hands pressed up against them… yup. He was definitely blushing. Dirty thoughts ran through his head as she reached over and put one hand on his shoulder, and held the other up to his hand, the end of her skirt clasped between their hands. It was like a scene from a crappy Disney movie or something.

Dave swallowed. Ok… he had seen some, but just for ironic purposes as a kid. He could remember how some of them danced, and ran an image through his mind, but she started to lead, spinning them around. He felt embarrassed… not only was she leading… but here they were, in the middle of the castle courtyard… ballroom dancing. The guards watched on, but did not move. Dave tried to shield his face from them, deciding to stare at Jade's instead.

Bad move. The moment his eyes locked with hers, and saw the brilliant delight sparkling in them, he was transfixed. It was like everything else in the world suddenly disappeared, and she was the only thing that mattered. He wanted to make her happy, and if dancing like an idiot in the middle of the afternoon was what would do it, then so fucking be it! He was going to do this all in, put all his effort in it.

The tempo of the dance sped up, and she started giggling as he spun her around, her dress spinning out and the ends brushing against his legs.

A few minutes later, he was feeling tired, and he could see the same in her face. The tempo slowed back down, and the dance turned into a more of a slow dance. They shuffled along, holding each other. Jade was grinning brightly, and it was taking all of Dave's energy to keep his poker face straight.

"You've been asleep for a long time, Jade." Dave said suddenly. He just realized that she had stayed with him, nearly the entire trip from New York to Texas.

Jade's smile flickered for a second, "Yeah. I wanted to make sure you were going to be ok. Houston is a long way away from New York."

"What about your Uncle? I thought he was getting worried with how much you are sleeping?" Dave asked,

"He's worried I'm sick or something." Jade said, "He told me that if I am not feeling better by tomorrow, he's taking me to the doctor."

"Your not sick, are you?" Dave could hear the worry in his own voice.

"Nope!" She giggled, "Right as rain! I'm just sleeping so much so I can be with you! Since we were separated for so long!"

Dave smiled…oh crap. He was smiling - a real, genuine smile at that. There goes his fucking poker face. And she could tell. The moment he smiled, her expression twisted with excitement. It took all of Dave's concentration not to bend down and kiss her.

He was starting to feel drowsy… someone was trying to wake him up…

"Sorry Jade." Dave yawned, sitting down in the middle of the courtyard, "I need to check out for a bit…"

"Is something wrong?" She gasped, kneeling down next to him.

"Nope…" He laid down, "Just getting rudely awaken."

She giggled, "Sleep well then, Dave!"

… … …

"Dave. Wake up, Dave. We are here."

Dave groaned, his eyes slowly opening. Where were they? The last thing he remembered…

…Was dancing with Jade…

No! It was driving. Yes, driving. They were entering Texas.

Dave suddenly felt cold. He shivered looking up. Rose was leaning over him, the door of the car open, and the cold air wafting into the car.

"Here? Where's here?" He muttered.

"We're at the graveyard." Rose stated, "We came to pay our respects to your brother."

"I don't know why we're bothering." Dave snapped, "No one was here to give him a proper burial… you know, since I killed the guy then took off."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Get up, do you need help?"

"No." He replied.

He tried to push himself up, but because he had refused any medication since New York, the pain-killers and other medication was all out of his system now. Pain ripped through his abdominal, and he wanted to scream out. He bit his lower lip to keep himself from screaming, and finally gave in, letting Rose help him out of the car.

"There." She said softly, "Was that so hard?"

"Shut it." He groaned.

"So Dave," Kanaya interrupted, "Where is your families Plot?"

"Plot?" He asked,

"The section of the Cemetery that your family owns?" She asked,

"I didn't know that was possible." Dave replied.

"Well then, where do you think he would be buried then?" She asked,

"Probably next to his Bro." Dave shrugged,

"His Bro?" Rose asked,

"My Bro's Bro. He's my Bro's older brother… died before Bro took me in." Dave explained.

"I see." Kanaya nodded, "Then lead the way."

"You may lean on me if you want?" Rose asked,

"I'm fine." Dave snapped, leaning all his weight on his cane, "I don't need help."

She nodded, "Then let us proceed."

The parking lot of the cemetery was empty, save for a single black, professional-looking car. Dave couldn't blame it for being empty. He had only been out of the car for a few minutes, and he was already drenched in water. The rain looked like it was starting to let up though, leaving behind a dampening mist.

Dave led the way, his body shaking, and his mind steadily growing more woozy from the pain. Each step was like agony, but he refused to show it on his face. Rose walked next to him, her eyes glued to him, ready to catch him if he looked like he was about to fall. Kanaya stood on the other side, also eager to help.

It was a slow pace they went at, but they finally reached the entrance of the Cemetery. By now, Dave was panting. He was having more trouble then he should. His cane sunk into the mud, and it took all he had not to stumble down into it.

He looked up, and saw two figures huddled under an umbrella heading his way. They were staring at him, probably because he knew he looked near-death. The taller man bent down and whispered something into the woman's ear, and her face twisted in disgust.

Dave's eyes locked on the woman. Her bright teal eyes were locked on him as well. She looked shocked, and near tears. She looked so familiar…

And then she smiled at him… Dave instantly recognized that goofy, lopsided smile. His breath caught in his throat. No! This can't be happening… damn… he should have been prepared to run into an old friend. He looked over at the man standing next to her, his red eyes were also locked on Dave, a suspicious look on his face.

Terezi and Karkat.

He fought to keep a poker face as they passed by, keeping his eyes locked ahead of himself now, instead of on them.

"Hi…" Terezi said, in her familiar shrilly voice. Dave wanted to break down. He wanted to turn around and run to her, pull her into his arms and give her a great big, friendly hug. She had been his best friend… a person he used to never be without… and here he was, ignoring her, pretending he did not recognize her…

Karkat pulled Terezi closer to him as they walked to the exit, Dave stopped and turned around, looking at them as they headed towards their car. Terezi looked back, and their eyes met once more, before Karkat opened the door for her, and the two disappeared inside the warmth and comfort of their vehicle.

"Is something wrong, Dave?" Rose asked,

"I knew them…" He whispered.

He turned back around with a smirk. It looks like Karkat won her after all.

Rose grabbed his free hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze, urging him on. He sighed as memories from his childhood flooded back to him. Damn was he suddenly happy it was raining… no one could see the tears.

They kept a slow pace, but eventually, they made it to where Bro's Bro was buried, along with Bro's mother and father.

"It appears someone was here before us." Kanaya stated.

Dave nodded. Someone had just cleaned off all the graves and put fresh flowers down on them. Bro had taken Dave to the Cemetery many times to visit his Bro and his parents, and his eyes trailed over the graves… his eyes falling on the grave of the guy he was named after.

What a let down he must be. Bro's Bro was a good man. He was very generous and kind from what Dave had heard. And here Dave was… as selfish, spoiled brat.

There was no grave there that said 'Dirk Strider'.

What was he expecting? No one was there to pay for a headstone.

He looked to the right of that grave, and found another one with the same name on it…

What the fuck?

Dave had come to the Cemetery to see his Bro's grave… but instead, he found himself staring at his own.

Rest in Piece Lil Bro

Until We Meet Again

Dave frowned. Well, that was going to be sooner then later… but why did someone put 'rest in piece lil bro' on it? Did they think that was something that Bro would want to say if he was still alive? Who paid for the grave marker? Was it his friends? It sounded like it would be something Terezi would do… but why? He was not dead yet…

Rose was kneeling in front of 'his' grave, her fingers tracing the '2008'.

"That was the year I ran away." Dave stated,

"I know." She whispered, "They all must have thought you died."

Dave frowned. That explained the looks he got from Terezi and Karkat a few minutes ago. They looked at him as if they were staring at a ghost…

They must have been the ones who cleaned off all the graves.

Thunder boomed over head, and the wind started to pick up again.

"We should find a hotel before the storm picks up again." Kanaya stated.

"Yes." Rose nodded, "Are you ready to leave, Dave?"

Dave frowned, looking at the graves. He swallowed and forced himself back to his feet, cursing slightly as the pain continued to eat away at his insides.

"Yeah… let's get the fuck out of here." He whispered.

* * *

><p>DAVE:<p>

* * *

><p>It is possible to own a plot in a cemetery. My family owns one in the Fraser Valley, where both my grandparents are buried, as well as my uncle, and all the generations before that. It's a huge section of a cemetery, encircled by a concrete boarder, with our families name engraved into it.<p>

CORNY IS CORNY!


	34. DAVE:

DAVE:

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><p><em>A seven hour stand off ended tragically today, as three people were stabbed to death, and four people injured in a horrible hostage situation in Port Angeles. <em>

_Jack Noir, a notorious Drug Dealer, and Leader of the Black Carapace Gang had taken eleven hostages in a drug deal that turned sour. After being caught by an undercover agent, he escaped to a nearby bank, where he held everyone inside at both gunpoint and knifepoint. _

_Upon hearing the screams of the victims, Officer Peregrine lead a team of rescuers into the building, where a brave Officer shot and killed Jack Noir._

"_We only did what we had to, to save the innocent people inside." _Officer Peregrine said, _"We do not regret our actions in bringing down Mr. Noir. Everyone here at the Police Station send out our condolences to the victim's families."_

"So, Jack Noir is finally dead?" Rose asked, walking back into the hotel room with a glass of wine cradled in her hand,

"Good riddance." Dave spat, "This is all his fucking fault."

Rose gave him a confused look, but Dave did not offer her an explanation.

He was just glad Jack got what he deserved in the end. A bullet to the head.

Dave was laying on the bed. They were staying the night in a two bed hotel room. It was the closest place to the graveyard, and no one wanted to spend more time then they had to driving after the long trip. Dave was exhausted, and going so long without any medication was starting to wear down on him. Rose was sitting at the end of the bed she was going to share with Kanaya, sipping her wine with a thoughtful look.

The shower pounded in the bathroom to the right of them. Kanaya had been in the bathroom for nearly ten minutes now, leaving the siblings alone in the room.

"Rose…" Dave whispered.

"Yes?" She asked, turning off the television.

"I'm tired." He said softly,

"Want me to turn the light off?" She asked,

"No… not sleepy tired… just tired." He sighed.

Rose got up and walked over to his bed, sitting down next to him. She brushed the hair out of his face, "What do you want to do then?"

"I don't know…" He let out a soft chuckle, "I'm just tired."

Tired of the pain, tired of the worry, tired of letting people down, tired of letting himself down, tired of fighting…

…all he wanted to do was sleep.

If he was asleep, then there was no pain.

"Dave…" She whispered,

"Can you do me a favour?" He asked, "Anything." She nodded,

"I changed my mind… I want some pain-killers now." His voice cracked as he spoke, and he cursed himself for it.

"Certainly." She nodded.

She got up and walked over to her bag, pulling out several different kinds of medication.

"Just the pain-killers." Dave snapped,

"As you wish." She frowned.

He looked over at the clock, it read 6:02 PM. The sky outside was dark with the coming storm, but at least the rain had lightened up. It was still windy, but not as bad.

…the setting was perfect. He could not think of better weather right now.

And that was totally not sarcasm.

Rose returned, snapping him out of his thoughts. She had a container of apple juice, and a single pill in the palm of her hand.

"Thank you." He said, as he grabbed them from her,

"I know how you like your apple juice." She smiled.

"You are awesome." He joked.

Dave forced himself to sit up, as he took the pill. He swallowed it, and drank the entire container of apple juice. It was all he could stomach lately… it was all he had ate since they left the hospital…

"Rose." He said softly,

"Yes?" She said, rubbing his back,"I'm going for a walk." He said, unable to look at her.

"Do you want me to go with you?" She asked,

"No." He shook his head, "I want to go alone."

She looked taken back for a moment, her eyes watering up and she nodded, "Yes. Of course."

"Rose…" His voice was barely above a whisper,

"Yes, brother?" Her voice cracked as she spoke, and Dave saw a single tear drop form in the corner of her eye.

"Thank you for everything." He smiled, reaching up to wipe the tear away, "I love you, sis."

"I love you too, 'bro'."

Dave looked at her as she stood up, backing up so he could climb out of the bed. He grabbed his cane and started for the door. She did not try to follow him. He paused, one hand on the door, before turning around and smiling at Rose, a real, genuine smile.

She nodded back at him, and he slipped from the room.

* * *

><p>ROSE:<p> 


	35. ROSE: Rose's POV

Sane chapter, different POV.

* * *

><p>ROSE:<p>

* * *

><p>Rose had a bad feeling. It was like a sickly prickly feeling in the gut that refused to go away. Shortly after they arrived at the hotel room, Kanaya had hoped into the shower to try and warm up, and she went downstairs to the bar and ordered a drink.<p>

The wine did not help the prickly feeling, and it just made her feel worse. She walked into the hotel room, and saw Dave watching the news. It made her sick that she was drinking, especially when Dave was dying from substance abuse, and her mother had already died from it.

She sat down on the bed, "So, Jack Noir is finally dead?"

"Good riddance." Dave spat, "This is all his fucking fault."

His fault? How would this be Jack's fault? Did Dave have something to do with that horrible man? She looked at Dave, wondering if he would offer some sort of explanation, but he remained painfully silent. His uncharacteristic silence was really starting to worry her. She could not help but fear what he was thinking about…

"Rose…" He whispered, finally saying something.

Even though he finally spoke, it did nothing to ease her mind, and she felt her stomach to a painful flop. She reached over and shut the television off, "Yes?"

"I'm tired." He said softly. The way he said that scared her.

"Want me to turn the light off?" She asked. Though mentally, she knew that was not what he meant, but she would prefer not to think that way.

"No… not sleepy tired… just tired." He sighed.

Yes, he just proved her fears. He basically just admitted to her, that he was ready to die. Fear spread through her like wildfire, and she got up, needing to close the space between them. She sat the wine glass down on the bedside table, and sat down next to him. A stray strand of hair had fallen in his face, and she unconsciously brushed it away. He was so cold… his skin felt like ice under her touch.

Without thinking, she said, "What do you want to do then?" But she already knew the answer to this.

"I don't know…" He said with a weak chuckle, "I'm just tired."

He looked like he was having some inner conflict, his eyes were half closed beneath his shades, and they were not focusing on anything. She knew he was sorting things out mentally, but wished she could figure it out.

… Some therapist she turned out to be…

She suddenly felt really guilty. All she wanted was for him to talk to her, tell her how he felt. She opened her mouth, but all that came out was a soft whisper, "Dave…"

"Can you do me a favour?" He asked,

"Anything." She nodded.

"I changed my mind… I want some pain-killers now." His voice was course, and she could hear the emotion behind it. He was conflicted, but at the same time, she knew he had made up his mind.

"Certainly." She nodded.

She got up. If he was asking for the pain-killers, maybe he would take his other medications as well? She would do anything to see him out of pain right now…

She walked over to her bag, and pulled out his medications.

"Just the pain-killers." He snapped.

Rose frowned. There goes that idea. With the state he was in, there was no way she was going to force the issue. She dropped all the bottles but the pain-killers back into the bag, "As you wish."

She turned around and returned to his bedside. He looked even more conflicted then he did before, maybe a little confused even. She handed him a container of apple juice, and the pill.

"Thank you." He said,

"I know how you like your apple juice." It was the only thing she could think of saying.

"You are awesome." He replied.

She watched as he forced himself to sit up. Her entire body wanted to reach out and help him, but she knew he had to do this by himself, so she just sat there, feeling useless as he popped the pill in his mouth, and chugged the apple juice.

When he finished, he put the empty container next to her glass of wine.

"Rose." He said softly,

For some reason, she felt that this was it. That prickly feeling in her stomach exploded through her, and she reached out to rub his back, feeling helpless and useless as her brother suffered, "Yes?"

"I'm going for a walk." He said, looking away from her.

"Do you want me to go with you?" She asked, though she knew the answer.

"No. I want to go alone."

She was right. She swallowed hard. He had given up… she could see that in his eyes. For some reason, she felt as if this was his good-bye… a good-bye without actually saying it… a roundabout way…

She suddenly knew she was going to cry. Her eyes watered up, and she struggled as hard as she could to keep them down, to hide the emotional turmoil she felt, and be strong for him.

"Rose…" His voice sounded so weak and feeble…

"Yes, brother?" She heard her own voice crack, and the look on Dave's face when it did, made her instantly regret it. Where was her control? She had always been so good at controlling her emotions…

Dave reached up and wiped her eyes. She had not realized she had actually started crying.

He smiled, a sad, forced smile at her, "Thank you for everything. I love you, sis."

Something snapped within Rose as he said that… more like something shattered, and it took all her focus to keep from breaking down, "I love you to, 'bro'." She emphasized the pet name the Strider's seemed to use for their family members, and that seemed to cheer him up a bit.

This was it, she sucked in a deep breath, and stood up, backing away from him, and giving him a clear path to the door. He forced himself up, his arm shaking on the cane as he pressed all his weight against it - which by this point wasn't even all that much. He did not look at her as he headed towards the door, and Rose fought with the inner turmoil to follow him.

He stopped at the door, turning around to look at her, and smiled. Rose felt her blood turn cold as she saw him smile. It was strange, to see him smile like that, one hand on the door.

To her, it felt as if he was saying good-bye.

He opened the door, and closed it behind him, and Rose stood there awkwardly for a little bit, until her shoulders started to shake, and she started to cry.

"Good-bye…" She whispered after him.

She sighed and shook herself out of her daze, before turning back to her wine, and chugging the entire glass.

She stared at the empty glass, tears running freely down her face… and suddenly, she wanted more. She quickly reached down for her purse, and turned to run out of the hotel room.

* * *

><p>KANAYA: Find Rose<p>

* * *

><p>I did not edit this chapter, but I will come back later to. I have to eat and get ready for work now :' (<p> 


	36. KANAYA: Find Rose

Hmm… no one caught my hint in chapter 33? :P If you did not catch the hint then, you will catch it in the next chapter. TROLOLOL!

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><p>KANAYA: Find Rose<p>

* * *

><p>You can't be Kanaya. Because you've never even heard of a person named Kanaya before. And you are too busy being Jade. Past Jade to be exact, a Jade from yesterday. A Jade that still had hope…<p>

* * *

><p>JADE: Be Past Jade<p>

* * *

><p>AIR-HEAD: Work on Art, write some more, troll some readers, then go to bed<p>

You can't be Air-Head working on some art, because his laptop is broken and therefore cannot draw. So instead, you try to be Air-Head writing some more, but find you are too tired and stressed to do so, so you decide to troll your readers, and then go to bed.

Good night!


	37. JADE: Be Past Jade

XxhoneyleafxX: I appreciate the offer, but I think I should take you out to dinner first, and then maybe a movie, and then maybe meet the parents, and then maybe … I mean, wait? What? Oh yes, thank you for the review XD

CaliginousStrider: Yup! Gotta have some fun in life? Right :P

Anya-Chan17: Yup :' ( My poor laptop… it died. I am going through art withdrawal or something… but lucky you all! Because I don't have art to distract me, I can focus all my free time on writing XD

Everyone else: You are awesome. Don't ever change!

* * *

><p>JADE: Be Past Jade<p>

* * *

><p>Jade opened her eyes to the sound of crying, she groaned and rolled over. She had just invited Dave to her brother's wedding… but had woken up before he agreed to go. She grabbed a pillow and put it over her head. She wanted nothing more then for him to go.<p>

Uncle Dirk would be there with them… and the two can see that the other was alive… Uncle Dirk would finally have to believe her that Dave was ok…

He was ok? Wasn't he?

She sighed, leaning up. Dove was screaming somewhere in the house. What a colicky baby! Where all babies so loud? All she wanted to do was go back to sleep…

There was a whimper at the door, and Jade sighed dramatically. She got up and walked over, opening the door and letting the large white dog in.

"I know you don't like the crying, Bec." She sighed, closing the door after him, "Come on, lets go back to bed…"

She settled back down on the bed, and shuffled against the wall as Bec jumped up, curling up beside her. Jade snuggled into his fur. He was getting really old. Jade knew she would be devastated when he finally passed away, but she refused to think of that right now. She sighed and snuggled up to him, wrapping her arm around him, and he gave out a happy sigh.

Please let sleep return fast…

… … …

It felt like hours before she finally fell back asleep, but when she did, she found herself laying in Dave's empty bed. She gasped and sat up. Where was he? Where did he go? She spun around and saw him leaning on the windowsill, looking out at the horizon.

"Dave?" She asked. He slowly turned and looked back at her. It looked like something was on his mind… he looked troubled, like he was fighting through some emotional turmoil.

"Dave…" She gasped, instantly jumping up and running over to him, "Are you ok? What's wrong?"

Dave just opened his arms as she ran over, and she ran into them. He wrapped his arms around her, and she heard him sigh into her shoulder. While his arms felt strong around her, she suddenly had the feeling of fragility from him. It was something strange, a feeling she had never gotten from him before.

"Jade… I need to tell you something." He said softly.

Uh oh. She knew something was wrong. She pulled away from him, only far enough so she could see his face. She wished she could see his eyes… the urge became so great, she reached up to remove the shades blocking them. He let her, and before she realized what she was doing, she was holding his shades in her hand. His red eyes were laced with worry and…regret? His brows were knotted… he looked so tired…

"Dave…" She whispered,

He bent down and hugged her tightly, closing the gap between them again, "Jade I… I need to tell you something. Its really important."

"Ok…" She replied softly. She really did not know what to say.

"I didn't want to tell you, because I did not want you to worry." He sighed, "But…while you were awake… I decided its not fair to you… if you were to wake up one day, and I was mysteriously gone."

"Gone?" her eyes widened, "Where are you going?""I'm dying, Jade." He replied.

Jade felt her heart skip a beat in her chest, and her lungs suddenly seemed to lose the ability to hold air, "W-What?"

"Right now…" Dave explained, "I'm in the hospital. While you were asleep, I woke up. My Real-Self is not doing so well."

"No! That can't be true!" Jade felt the tears swell up in her eyes, "Dave… this isn't funny!"

He swallowed hard, obviously trying hard to contain his own emotions, "My sister… asked me what my final wish is."

For a moment, Jade could not find her voice. When she finally did, all that came out was, "Your final wish?"

Dave nodded, "I said I want to go home… before I die."

"Home?" She asked,

"Back to Houston." Dave nodded, "Jade… before I die… I want to try and make it to your brother's wedding. I'm going to try… but I can't promise… because my Real-Self is a douche."

The tears were now freely washing down Jade's face, and she hiccupped, "Oh Dave! Don't do anything foolish! If your in the hospital, stay there! I'll come see you! I can help you! Just tell me where you are!"

Dave shook his head, "Sorry Jade. We're leaving New York in the morning, and should be in Houston by tomorrow."

"New York?" Jade gasped, "Is that where you've been? Your in a Hospital in New York?"

"Fuck." Dave spat, "Did I really just say that? Whatever. Forget about it."

"But Dave! I need to come down and see you! You need help… I can help you!"

Dave shook his head, "We'll be gone from New York before you'd have a chance to arrive."

He paused, taking in a deep breath, "But… it would be nice… to actually get to meet you in Houston."

Jade nodded, "Ok. I will try and get down there as soon as possible!"

"I'm sorry, Jade." Dave whispered.

Jade was shaking, "E-Even if you do die… we'll always be together here in the Dream World… right?"

Dave looked hesitant, but finally he nodded, bringing her in for another hug, and rubbing her back comfortingly, "Yeah…always."

… … …

"What?" Dirk asked, turning around. He was sitting at the kitchen table, trying to get Dove to drink her bottle, but the little girl was fighting him every step of the way.

Jake turned around and looked at her, he was just putting on the jacket of his suit, getting ready to leave for work.

"As I said," Jade cried, "We HAVE to leave today! We just have to! We have to be in Houston by tomorrow!"

"Run it by me, why again?" Dirk raised and eyebrow, and Dove spat up milk all over him, "Fuck!" He grumbled.

"Dirk!" Jake snapped, "Don't swear in front of the baby."

"She has no idea what I am saying anyway." He retorted.

Jade frowned… they did not seem in very good moods.

"Because! We just have to!" She cried, tears forming in her eyes.

Jake sighed, "Jade… the wedding is not until next week."

"We can go early to help set up! John's supposed to arrive in Texas tomorrow too!" She argued.

"Yeah, they are supposed to arrive tomorrow - tomorrow evening. Which means they will book a hotel room, then go to bed." Dirk pointed out,

"But we have to go!" Jade whined, feeling tears finally leave her eyes again.

Jake gasped when he saw her cry, and walked over, wiping them away, "Jade. Why is it so important that we leave so early?"

"B-Because!" She cried, "It could be a matter of life and death!"

"Do you think something's going to happen to John or Vriska?" Jake asked,

"No! Not them!" She replied, "If we don't leave right away… Dave could die!"

Both Jake and Dirk looked taken back. Dirk sighed and turned away from her, going back to focusing on feeding Dove, the baby just laughed and kicked at the bottle in his hand. Jade could see the hurt look on his face, and it made her sad.

"Jade…" Jake whispered, "Dave is…"

"No!" She interrupted, "He's not dead! I was just talking to him! But he's hurt or something! He said he's dying… and we have to get to Houston to help him!"

"You were just talking to him?" Jake raised an eyebrow,

"Yes!" She nodded, "On Derse! He's scared Uncle Jake! We have to go help him!"

"Derse?" He asked,

"One of the worlds in the Dream World." Jade could feel herself blushing, "You have to believe me!"

Jake sighed, "Jade… why didn't you tell me you started having those dreams again?"

"Because… you'd make them go away again." She whispered, "And Dave needs me! Please Uncle Jake! We have to go!"

"Jade…" Jake sighed, "We should talk to your doctor first."

"No!" She gasped, "Please no! I'm begging you, Uncle Jake… Dave needs me. I can't stop having the dreams… not now!"

"Have you been taking your medication?" Jake asked.

No. But she was not going to tell him that, "Please… we have to go…"

"I have to leave for work now." Jake sighed, "We'll talk about it more when I get back."

"Don't make me go back to the doctor!" Jade pleaded, "At least not until after the wedding!"

"We'll talk about this when I get back." He repeated, patting her on the head.

… … …

Jade sat in her room, a sleeping pill in her hand. She needed to go back to sleep, and she needed to sleep now. She needed to be with Dave… if she could not fly out and be with him yet, she could at least be with him on his drive to Houston. New York and Houston were a long way away… and if Dave was really dying, she was terrified on what a trip like that could do to his body.

She held the sleeping pill in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. Her door was locked, so no one could bother her, and she had her headphones in her ears, set to soft music, to drown out any noise from Dove or Dirk. With a sigh, she quickly swallowed the pill.

If it was the last thing she did, she would make sure to cheer up Dream Dave - to get his mind off the troubles of his Real-Self… even for just a day.

* * *

><p>KANAYA: Actually be Kanaya<p> 


	38. KANAYA: Actually Be Kanaya

KANAYA: Actually be Kanaya

* * *

><p>Your pretty sure you've never been anyone else. You've always been Kanaya Maryam. Though at this moment, you wish you were anyone but her. Because Kanaya was worried, and afraid, and sad… and you like to be none of those things.<p>

Kanaya stood in the shower. Letting the water wash over her, she had been in the shower for nearly ten minutes now, and had no intention of getting out any time soon. She imagined the water washing away her worries…

When she finally started to feel her feet start to prune, she decided it was time to get out. She turned off the water, and stepped out into the steamy bathroom. Using a towel, she wiped the condensation off the mirror, and opened the make up bag she left on the counter. There was no way she was going to leave the bathroom until her hair and make up were perfect.

It could have been anywhere from forty-five minutes to over an hour before she finally left. And the first thing she noticed, was how quiet the hotel room was. The television was off, and there was only one light on. As she rounded the corner from the bathroom, and into the main room, she found out why. There was no one there.

"Rose? Dave?" She called. There was no answer. She looked over at Dave's bed, his cane was gone, but something surprised her. Sitting on Dave's bedside table was an empty wine glass, and an empty juice container. Rose and Dave had been there drinking their respective drinks while she was in the shower… but where were they now?

The empty wine glass… if that wasn't enough proof, then nothing would be. But Dave cannot drink with his liver? His liver was already failing. A drink would kill him. She decided to check the bar anyway. She threw her coat over her shoulders, doing up the belt, before leaving the hotel room, and heading down to the bar.

It took only a few seconds to find Rose. She was sitting at a table in the back, an empty bottle of wine in front of her, and the waiter was giving her another. He poured her the drink, and walked away.

"Rose." Kanaya snapped, walking up behind her, "What are you doing? Have you not learned your lesson from all this?"

"What does it matter?" She cheered, drunkly, one arm raised in the air. Her eyelids were half closed, and slightly puffy, her eyes red and teary, "As of tonight, I'm half a million dollars richer, bitches!"

"Rose!" Kanaya gasped, sitting across from her, "Stop this. Come back with me to the hotel. Where is Dave?"

Rose reached for her drink again, her chin resting on the table, "Kanaya… did you know, that when a cat is ready to die… it will wonder off, and find a nice quiet den to die without being disturbed?"

"What are you talking about?" Kanaya spat,

"The cat… will leave its family, to find somewhere safe to die… somewhere where its body will not be disturbed… and its family does not have to deal with the body." She sighed, a drunken smile crossing her face.

"What does that have to do with you being drunk, or Dave missing?" Kanaya asked, "Where is he Rose?"

Rose pushed herself off the table, ignoring her empty glass, and instead, chugging right from the bottle. She broke out laughing.

"Rose!" She gasped.

"Baby mine… don't you… cry." She sang softly.

"What?" Kanaya asked,

"Baby mine… dry your eyes…" She paused to drink her drink some more, "rest your head, close to my heart…never to part, baby of mine…"

"What are you talking about, Rose?" Kanaya gasped, "Come back to the room… your drunk."

"You know…" Rose smiled softly, "When my Mother was not to drunk to forget the words… she would sing me this song before bed… and I used to ask her to sing it twice… once fore me… and once for my brother."

"Rose!" Kanaya spat, "Please! Where is Dave? He should not be out of our room alone."

"It does not matter." Rose whispered, "He will not come back."

"What are you talking about?" Kanaya asked,

"Dave is the cat." She smirked, looking up at Kanaya as she reached for her drink, but missed, spilling the crimson liquid over the tablecloth. She looked down at the mess, and laughed at it, before reaching to pour herself another one.

"Dave is a cat?" Kanaya repeated, "Rose! Please snap out of it! We need to find him."

"You won't." Rose shrugged, "Dave is the cat… and somewhere in this city is his den."

"What are you saying?" Kanaya gasped, "Rose…" She stood up, looking crossly at her drunken friend, "If you will not be the sensible person in this situation, then I must be. Go back to the room Rose, I am going to go find Dave."

Rose shook her head, "You will not find him…Kanaya… this is what he wanted."

"What?" She asked,

"Dave wanted to return home… for this exact reason." She broke down into sobs, a strange sob that sounded more like a mixture between a laugh and a cry.

"But he is out there all alone!" Kanaya gasped,

"Dave will die… the way he lived." Rose muttered, reaching out and finishing off her drink, "Alone… and on the street."

Kanaya looked at Rose as if she had lost her mind. She saw her friend break down into drunken sobs, her face buried in the tablecloth. She had never felt more disgusted in her life.

"That may be good enough for you, but its not for me!" She snapped, "I'm going out to find him."

"You won't." She shrugged.

Kanaya ignored her, pulling her jacket close around her, she turned and ran from the bar, leaving Rose humming a song she was too drunk to remember the words too, and out to the front entrance of the hotel. The rain outside had lightened up to a drizzle, but left the streets soggy in its wake. The sky was still dark with the storm that would be soon approaching. She briefly wondered about her hair under the rain, but the thought of Dave being alone out there made her instantly forget about her appearance. She stepped out into the rain to find her roommate's runaway brother.

* * *

><p>DAVE: Converse<p>

* * *

><p>That's it for tonight! Gotta get ready for work! :D<p>

There will be a surprise 'encounter' in the next chapter, so you can all look forward to that!


	39. DAVE: Converse

DAVE: Converse

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><p>Dave's body knew where it was going, long before his mind did.<p>

As the pain-killers kicked in, and the pain was masked behind the drug, Dave found his body moving faster. It was not until he found himself down a familiar street, did he realize where his body was taking him.

He passed by his old school, the doors closed for the day, and all the kids safe at home, away from the rain. He could remember sneaking into the school ground after dark to let the playground on fire, write graffiti all over the walls, smash some windows, or just hang out with his friends…

The memories made him sick to his stomach. They just reminded him even more why he was here. He was here because of his own dumb choices.

Why did he decide to come here? He could not remember anymore. Something in the back of his mind told him it was important, but he fought it down. Nothing was important anymore…

He kept walking, until he walked down a very familiar street. A street he used to see everyday out of his bedroom window. It was the exact same - if not a little grungier - then when he left it. He walked down the street until he stood in front of an old apartment complex… his old home.

It felt strange… standing in front of it after so long. The place was still in a bad need of a paint job, the paint peeling nearly straight off the bricks. His eyes trailed up the balconyless building, until his eyes fell on the apartment on the top. Someone had hung pink curtains in what had once been his bedroom… pink curtains with little flowers all over them…

Without thinking, he walked up to the call box, and punched in the number for his apartment. The bell rang three times, until someone picked it up.

"Hello?" A female voice came from over the intercom.

Dave was startled. What the fuck was he doing? Of course Bro did not live here anymore. Bro was dead…

And what if Bro wasn't dead? What if he was in the apartment right now? After all Dave did in his life… there was no way he could ever face Bro again… not now. Not when he was dying. There was not a chance Dave ever wanted Bro to know what he had done…

"Hello?" She repeated, "You've reached the Papier Residence, are you there?"

Dave cleared his throat, and replied, "Sorry… wrong number."

"Oh, that's ok, bye." And she hung up.

Dave stood there for a few seconds, staring at the call box. What was he thinking?

The truth is… he wasn't anymore.

A shiver went down Dave's spine, and he sighed, turning around and walking back into the rain.

Why did he come back?

He suddenly wanted to break down…but fought against the thought, knowing it would do him no good…

But what now? Where was he going to go?

He was walking in a daze, not paying attention to where he was going, when someone collided with him. The shock send a spasm of pain through his rotting body, and he cried out as he fell backwards into the soggy sidewalk. A startled yelp joined him.

Dave thought he was going to pass out. He lay on the sidewalk, his eyes slightly closed, when he heard an unfamiliar voice speak up.

"Oh! I am so sorry!" Someone reached out, and before he knew it, someone was helping him to his feet, "Fuck me, sorry. I'm a bit of a nervous wreck right now. Wasn't paying attention I guess!"

Dave looked forward at a man, around his age. The man had short black hair, hidden mostly under a bluish-green fedora. His blue eyes looked at Dave with worry, and his mouth was twisted in shock, hidden under a professional van-dyke style moustache. He looked like the average young businessman, but something seemed different about him.

He smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "Gosh… I am so sorry man! I was in a hurry… my fiancée you see, she is pregnant… and when she has a craving… she has a craving!"

Dave grumbled, "Don't let me keep you."

"But now your soaking wet!" He replied, "Here, let me make it up to you, there is a café right around the corner, and my Uncle used to take me there all the time as a kid. I know you'll love it."

"Its fine." Dave snapped. Not like he was not already soaked before this.

"But!" He begged,

"Its cool dude." Dave groaned, "Lay off."

The man did not look put off at all. He just smiled and said, "Just one coffee? You look like your freezing!"

"I don't need your fucking charity!" Dave snapped,

"Oh come on!" He said, "Please? I'll feel terrible if I don't buy you something."

Dave sighed, "Fine."

What did he have to lose anyway? If this kid was some psycho and ended up killing him… it was no loss. He let the young businessman lead him around the block, and into a small café, positioned right across from the hospital.

Dave looked at the Hospital with disgust, and the man seemed to follow his gaze.

"This hospital is really great." He smiled, "I was brought here as a kid, after… well after some stuff happened. My Uncle's husband was brought here as well after he was in a bit of a… car accident."

"Your Uncle's husband?" Dave asked,

The man blushed slightly, "Yeah… my Uncle's Bi."

Dave nodded, and the man led them to a seat. He pulled a chair out for Dave, and sat across from it. Dave gingerly sat himself down.

"I'm John!" He said, holding out his hand.

Dave looked at his outstretched hand and raised an eyebrow, "If you expect me to kiss it, your out of luck."

"I kind of wanted you to shake it…" John replied.

Dave sighed, and reached out to shake John's hand, "Dave."

"Well, great to meet you, Dave!" John smiled.

This guy was really starting to get on his nerves…

The waiter came up, and John ordered two coffee's to stay, and a cinnamon roll to go. He thanked the waiter, as he left.

"You from around here, Dave?" John asked,

"No." He mumbled,

"Me neither." John shrugged, "I'm from Maple Valley, Washington, but my fiancée and I decided to have our wedding here in Houston! Its sure pretty here…"

"Oh." Dave said flatly.

John fell silent for a second, looking down at the table, before looking back up at him, "Dave… you don't look so good… I didn't hurt you when I knocked you over did I? You screamed pretty loud."

Dave felt his the heat drain away from his face, "Did I?"

"And I was going to ask you if that was some weird spray-on tan… but it would have washed off in the rain… are you sick?"

"Why should you care?" Dave snapped,

"I'm just a caring person?" John replied,

"Well you shouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong." He retorted, "Why should you care anyway?"

"Because…" John looked down at the tablecloth again, a light blush sweeping his face, "A long time ago… a complete stranger saved my life."

Dave frowned. But did not say anything.

"He didn't have to." John replied, "But he did anyway. He saved my life! So… I kind of always like paying it forward." He looked back up at Dave, and flashed a toothy grin, "His name was Dave too!"

Dave looked out the window, a car drove by, splashing water up over a passing pedestrian, "Popular name."

"Want to hear that story?" John's face lit up.

"I'll pass." Dave snapped, standing up, "And thanks for the offer, John, but unless you have a spare liver and kidney just laying around, there is no way you could help me."

John jumped up as well, "Wait Dave! Don't go! I can help you! You can have one of my kidneys! And I heard somewhere that they can give someone half of your liver, and you keep the other half!"

Dave looked at the kid as if he was crazy, "You are offering a complete stranger half your liver and a kidney?"

John nodded, "You look like you really need it Dave. I want to help you!"

"You know going through a surgery like that will make you miss your wedding." Dave pointed out sarcastically.

John's face dropped, "I didn't think I mentioned…" He shook his head and ran around the table, "Oh! The wedding! Right! Well then, why don't you come too?" He slipped a hand into the pocket of his bluish-green pants, and pulled out an envelope. He held it out to Dave, "Here! This will give you the time and the place?"

"First you offer a complete stranger half your organs, and now your inviting a complete stranger to your wedding?" Dave snapped. He did not reach out for the invitation, he just let John hold it in front of him.

John's face fell, "B-but Dave…"

"No!" Dave snapped, shoving John's hand back at himself, "I don't need help. I don't need your organs. I don't need your charity, and I definitely don't need your wedding invitation!"

Why was he getting so mad again? Why was it that every time someone offered to help him? His mind immediately panicked?

"Dave…" John looked crushed. Those large blue eyes looked hurt, "I'm not trying to make you angry… I just want to help."

"Well take your generosity elsewhere!" Dave snapped, "I am not a tool for your feel-good parade. Now kindly fuck off."

Without thinking, Dave jumped up, turning and running from the café.

"Dave!" John called after him.

He was vaguely aware of the sound of John chasing him out of the café, he could hear the door open and swing shut twice, but with the pain-killers still running through his body, he decided not to let up. He splashed through the water, running through the streets, past his old apartment, and off into the night.

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><p>JADE: Be Heart-Broken<p>

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><p>Be sure to check out my profile and vote on the poll I have there if you want a say in the next fanfic I write, if you have a different suggestion then one on the list, please PM me, and I will add it.<p>

Thank you everyone for your comments and reviews! It makes my day every single time when I come home from work, and check my emails to find a whole list of reviews! You guys are amazing!


	40. JADE: Be HeartBroken

JADE: Be Heart-Broken

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><p>You are now Present Jade, not Past Jade.<p>

Jade's legs were starting to fall asleep. She had been sitting in the courtyard for hours now, with Dave's head rested on her lap. She felt a little ashamed that she wanted him to fall asleep again…

He had been sleeping so much lately… why was he staying awake for so long? She was worried…

What if something happened? What if he won't let himself go to sleep? What if he hurt himself?

Jade shook her head. No! Thinking like that won't help! She looked down at her lap, Dave was so still… his chest raising and falling slowly. He looked so young and peaceful as he slept. All his guards melted away, and for the first time, she saw how vulnerable he could be…

What was keeping him awake?

She sighed, and stroked his hair, running her fingers through it, and wondering what it would be like to do this in person with him. He said yesterday that he was dying… didn't he? What if that was happening right now? What if he was dying? What if he died before he went to sleep again? She would never get to say good-bye.

Panic swept through her. She wanted to grab Dave and shake him 'asleep'. She wondered if that would work? Would waking up his Dream Self, make his Real Self fall asleep? What if something bad happened to Dave though, if he were to fall asleep right now?

She cupped his face in her hands, looking down and memorizing his still features. His mouth was slightly open, and he was breathing softly through it.

He looked so peaceful… Jade just could not believe what he said earlier was true… he can't be dying… not when he looks so…

Jade suddenly felt herself growing drowsy. She gasped as her eyes started to close, she could feel herself waking up… hear the baby crying…

No! Not now! Please don't wake up… someone shut the baby up! She couldn't wake up… not until Dave went to sleep… not until she knew he was ok!

She hugged him tighter, struggling to stay asleep, when a howling joined the baby cry.

Jade instantly woke up the moment Bec let out a long howl. She jumped up in bed, gasping. Somewhere in the house, there was noise of someone moving… but it wasn't fast enough… Jade was already awake.

Cursing, she threw a pillow over her head, but between Dove crying, Bec barking, and the fact she had already had hours of sleep…she was wide awake.

This was a mansion! Why did everyone have to live in one section of it? Why was this happening? What if Dave fell asleep and she wasn't there? She already promised him she would be there to make sure he was happy… and keep his mind off of things…

The crying would not stop. Dove was really upset about something. Jade covered her head with a pillow, squeezing it against her head. The baby's wails were as loud as if she was laying beside her. Growling, Jade sat up. She stuffed a water bottle, and her bottle of sleeping pills in her pillowcase, and wrapped her quilt around her, slipping on her slippers as she walked out into the hall.

With a muffled whimper, she walked through the cold hallways, the night air was chilly, and she shivered deeper in her quilt.

She walked straight over to the other side of the mansion, to where the guest rooms were. She could no longer hear Bec or Dove. There was no noise whatsoever. With a sigh, she laid down on a guest bed, snuggling down in her quilt.

She tried to get back to sleep, but she was wide awake. Hopelessly, she sat up and pulled the pills and the water out of her pillowcase, opening up the bottle and popping one in her mouth. She snuggled back down to sleep again.

And just before she got to sleep, her phone rang. Jade jumped nearly out of her skin. She leaned up, and pulled the phone out of her pillow case.

"Hello?" She said, still groggy from the effects of the sleeping pill.

"Jade? Its John. Sorry, did I wake you?"

"John…" She muttered, rubbing her eyes, "Why are you calling so late?"

"Sorry, Jade. Didn't mean to wake you." John replied, "Its what? Two AM there?"

"About that." She said.

"I can call back later…" John replied,

"Wait!" She gasped, finally collecting her thoughts, "Don't go John! Is something wrong?"

"I just… ran into someone… and… you know what? Never mind. Its not important. How are you?"

"Better if you can tell me your in Houston right now." Jade pleaded,

"Yes. We just arrived this evening. We rented a hotel near the hospital, just to make sure if anything goes wrong, Vriska can get there A-S-A-P!" John said, "Though right now, I'm kind of sitting at a café without her."

"Oh? How come?" Jade asked,

"I met someone, and I think I scared him off." John's voice sounded worried, which in turn, worried Jade. "He left his cane here."

"Speaking of which… I need you to listen to me John!" She sat up in her bed, "It's really important! It's a matter of life and death!"

"I'm listening!" John replied,

"I need you to find someone there! He promised me he'd make it to Houston. I don't know if he's there or not, but he's awake, and he could be in trouble! You need to find him John! He said he's dying!"

"Whoa? Wait?" John replied, sounding startled, "Start over."

Jade blushed, knowing John would not believe her, "It's Dave! You have to believe me, John. I talked to him earlier… in the Dream World. I told him about your wedding, and asked him to come. Please John! You have to help him!"

She paused. He wasn't saying anything… second passed by and he still wasn't saying anything.

"John!" She begged, "I know you don't believe me, but you have to!"

"Jade…" John finally said,

"Please John!" She cried,

"In your dream… what did he say he was dying of?" John said slowly,

"Um…I don't know." She replied,

"Oh…" John said,

"Why do you ask?" She asked,

"No reason. But you better get to sleep Jade… it's late."

"But what about Dave?" She cried,

"Talk to him in the Dream World." John replied,

"You really don't believe me… do you." She felt her heart drop,

"Yes… I do. Go to sleep, I have… stuff to take care of here. Thank you for telling me though."

"Will you look for him?" She begged,

There was a delay, and Jade heard a bell, and the sound of a door opening and closing, before John replied, "I'm heading that way."

Heading that way? What did he mean?

"I got to go, Jade." John promised, "I love you, and you have a good sleep. I'll be sure to call you in the morning."

"Love you too." Jade muttered, "Please look for him… I know you don't believe me… but please look for him."

"I believe you." John replied, "Bye Jade." And he hung up.

"Bye…" She whispered into the empty line.

Sighing, she stashed the phone back in her pillowcase, and laid back down. She groaned into her pillow… she was still wide awake.

She had to go to sleep… she just had to. If John really was going to look for Dave in the Real World, she had to be with Dave in the Dream World! She had to tell him John was on his way!

She fished out the sleeping pills again, since the excitement of John's call had subsided their tranquilizing effect. She quickly read the label…

...

Ambien CR

10mgs

Take 1 Tablet daily before bed

...

Jade shrugged, she had already taken one tablet, but was not falling asleep… she quickly popped the second in her mouth and swallowed it, laying back down on the pillow.

John was after Dave! He was going to find Dave, and he was going to help him! She was going to fall asleep and give him the great news! She was so excited! After all these years, she was FINALLY going to meet Dave in person! He was going to live! She was going to make sure of it.

A bad feeling suddenly hit her stomach. Dave had sounded really bad when she talked to him last. He told her he was dying, and he wanted to tell her 'in case she went to bed and he wasn't there'. What if he meant that he was not expecting to live out the rest of the day? What if she finally fell asleep, and he had died. Even though she had tried her best to cheer him up the entire trip down to Houston, he had seemed distant… distracted.

What if she finally managed to get to sleep, and he was not there anymore? What if she fell asleep and he was…

…was already gone.

Fear erupted through her, replacing the excitement she had felt just a moment ago. She needed to sleep! She needed to sleep now!

From somewhere far in the mansion, Dove was screaming. She could barely hear the baby from where she hid, but because she was trying to sleep, and was already annoyed at the crying already, her mind elevated the volume. She groaned and flipped her pillow, covering her head with it.

She suddenly felt nauseous. The feeling of vomit tickling the back of her throat started around the same time her head started to pound…

This was not letting her sleep!

She opened her eyes, her mind groggy from the effect of the two sleeping pills. Her bottle of Ambien had fallen out of the pillowcase when she flipped it over, and was laying in front of her face…

If she did not fall asleep now… she may never see Dave again.

Without thinking, she reached over and popped the bottle open again.

… … …

Jade woke up laying on the ground in her room. She leaned up, and briefly wondered where she was, or more frankly, why she was here? Did she not fall asleep in the Castle Courtyard?

Something moved in the corner of her room, and she gasped, looking up. A Guard walked over.

"Sorry, Milady… you fell asleep, so after that Derse Boy disappeared, we carried you home." He stated,

"Disappeared?" Jade asked, "Where is Dave? What happened to him?"

"He just vanished." The Guard frowned, "Poof!"

"Your lying!" Jade snapped,

"Wish I was." The Guard sighed.

Jade pushed herself out of bed. As she stood up, she felt dizzy, and fell forward. The Guard caught her before she hit the ground. Why was her head hurting so badly? This was the worst headache of her life. She groaned as a prickly feeling swept over her arm and leg.

Great. She was probably laying on her side, and her arm and leg were falling asleep…

"I have to find him!" She gasped,

"Maybe you should lay down?" The Guard asked,

"No! I have to find Dave!" She pushed away from him.

Her vision was spinning, making the nausea even worse. She groaned and ran from the room, taking off as fast as she could, and running towards Derse. She had to find Dave… he had to be home… he had to be in his room…

Her pace slowed down dramatically by the time she reached his room. By this point she could barely see straight. This was awful! How as she going to cheer Dave up when she felt so bad?

She ran into his room, throwing the door open, "Dave!" There was no answer. She looked around and stared in shocked disbelief.

The room was empty. There was nothing there. The walls were as bare as the floor… there was no bed in the corner anymore… nothing…

"Dave?" She felt her eyes watering up, "Dave where are you? DAVE!"

No answer.

She fell to her knees in the middle of the room. Was she too late? Is he…dead?

No! She told herself. An empty Dream Room could mean several things…

Oh who was she kidding. Dave probably died while she was awake. Awake because of that stupid baby! The tears were running freely down her face now, but she only felt them against half of it. The other half felt numb. She reached up and felt her cheek, wondering where the numbness was coming from, but realized it probably had to do with grief.

Dave…

"Where are you?" She whispered.

She hugged herself tightly, watching thick tear drops fall to the floor.

"I don't ever want to wake up again!" She cried, "Never! I want to stay here with you Dave! Where are you!"

She forced herself to her feet again, "Please Dave! Come out! Where are you? I don't ever want to wake up again… we can stay here together… please Dave!"

The door opened behind her, and Jade gasped, turning around.

Dave stood there, at the door, he was not wearing his shades, and his red eyes were blank and tired looking. His skin was so sickly pale…

He reminded her of a ghost.

Without thinking, she ran at him, jumping at him at full force. She collided with him with a cry as the two fell backwards.

"Dave… don't go Dave. Please don't go." She cried, "You're my best friend… don't leave me! You can't! Everyone else has left me… you can't leave me too."

"Jade…" Dave whispered. His voice was so soft… she could barely hear it.

"No. I don't want to hear it!" She snapped, burying her face into his shirt, "I can't hear it…"

"I love you." He whispered, hugging her tighter.

"I love you too." She looked up at him.

Their eyes met, though it was an awkward angle. Jade had Dave pinned to the ground, and his arms were around her torso, with her head barely coming up to his chest… he had to crane his neck to look at her.

Before she knew what was happening, he leaned up, pushing her backwards, until he pinned her to the ground.

The room seemed to light up with small glowing lights of all different sizes. It reminded her of fireflies. It took her a few minutes to realize that they were coming from Dave… not just coming from him… he was evaporating into them!

She gasped, and reached out for him, but her hand went right through his face. She watched as he slowly became transparent.

"No…" She whispered,

"Jade." He replied, reaching up to cup her face,

"Don't die…" She cried,

"I'm not dead yet." He smiled, "I'm right here."

"But your vanishing!" She whimpered,

"I know." He whispered, stroking her cheek,

"But…"

She was about to argue, when his lips collided with her own. Her eyes widened with shock. She was not expecting it… wasn't excepting it at all. Her first kiss… and she could not feel it. Dave's lips may be touching hers, but he was like air above her.

A sob escaped her chest, and it was like that single sob broke whatever guard she had within her, because the moment it escaped her mouth, she started wailing.

"Jade." Dave soothed, "Don't cry."

"But you're going to leave me." She choked out past her cries,

"No." Dave shook his head, "We'll be together here… in the Dream World… like you said."

"Together?" She hiccupped,

"Forever." He nodded.

"Yeah… forever in my mind." She muttered,

"Isn't that what counts?" He asked.

Jade nodded, unable to say anything.

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><p>DAVE: Hide<p>

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><p>Going by the time, Dave must have been gone for at least two hours. Or at least two hours from when he looked at the clock, so that would mean its 8 o'clock in Texas, so would be 2 AM in London.<p>

More research done for a chapter! Yay for knowledge! …yeah but… the research I did for this chapter, just brought up a bunch of 'suicide websites'. That'll look great. Last thing I need is the police coming to my door thinking I'm going to kill myself. No thank you. Life is short enough as it is...

WHELP! I THINK I SPEAK FOR EVERYONE WHEN I SAY I AM A HORRIBLE SAPPY PERSON!


	41. DAVE: Hide

WARNING: Possible trigger, DO NOT listen to Dave's logic in here… or I will feel awful and never forgive myself.

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><p>DAVE: Hide<p>

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><p>The pain-killer was wearing off fast, and Dave was regretting leaving his cane behind. Why did he run in such a hurry?<p>

Well, that was a dumb question. Dave knew the answer.

He had recognized the man. Recognized him almost immediately, but forced himself to deny it.

Those bright blue eyes of his…

He remembered staring down at them, when he was still just a kid.

John…

Was that the boy he had saved? All those years ago? The one thing he actually did right in his life…

He saved that boy. And now, if that was the same person as the one who he just saw… then that boy he saved grew up to be a successful man, who was getting married, and if he heard the whole 'cravings' thing right, probably just about to have a kid.

Dave smiled as he limped through the soggy streets. He had done something right. It may have been only one thing, but he had done something.

But now that kid wanted to pay him back for it… he wanted to spare some of his organs to Dave.

The one thing that Dave had done right… wanted to ruin himself for Dave. He felt sick to his stomach thinking about it. He saved that kid so he could live his life to the fullest… what he was suffering from right now, was nothing but his own stupid fault. There was no way in hell he would go back. He did not want that kid to know the person who saved him was a dirty, filthy, ex-drug-abusing, ex-prostitute.

His entire body was burning, and he was having trouble breathing again…

He was just so…

Tired.

Tired of everything.

He just wanted to sleep…

…yeah, sleep.

He could see Jade again.

Isn't that what they say Death is? An eternal sleep?

It sounded nice…

He was struggling to walk, the pain searing through him now with each movement. He looked up, and nearly panicked. Without thinking, he darted across the street. He tripped over the curb and fell, feeling his face smash against the concrete beneath him. Groaning, he pushed himself up, and looked over.

Kanaya was walking down the street. Her expression was startled. She had seen him… saw him run away from her…

He blushed as he realized she just saw him trip and fall on his face.

Cursing under his breath, he took off running, letting adrenaline overtake the pain. Even though he could not run very fast, he knew Kanaya could not run in those heels either. He cast a glance over his shoulder, and saw her bend down to pick something up where he had fallen…crap. He left his aviators behind. He heard her call after him, but her calls were getting more and more silent.

He rounded a few corners, and knew he had outrun her. He looked behind him, and she was nowhere to be seen.

He was dizzy and disoriented, and as the adrenaline went back down, he was tired and in more pain then he had been before. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and started down a familiar street.

He stopped on the corner of the street, the moment he recognized where he was.

The Pyrope House rested right across where he stood. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, as the events from that night replayed in his mind.

He could see himself, at thirteen, running out of the house, stoned out of his mind, and running blindly into the street… and he could see Bro pushing him aside, the car that should have killed him… killing Bro instead.

Should have killed him…

That car should have killed him. Not Bro. He should have been the one to die that night. It was not fair… all Bro did was try and protect him, and all he did was cause more trouble for him. Bro always blamed either himself, or the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome for Dave's behaviour… but Dave knew better then that. He was just a rotten, spoiled brat.

The blinds were open on the house, but Dave could not see anyone inside. Memories of all the parties Terezi would through in there spun around his mind.

He turned around and started through the yard of the house behind him. He could clearly remember taking off running this way as a kid. After seeing Bro, splayed out over the asphalt, he had panicked and ran this exact path… He crossed the yard and entered the forest.

This part was a little hazy to him. He was running, and Terezi had followed him…

He stopped at a cluster of roots and bent down…

A red and white sneaker was hidden beneath some roots. He pulled it free. The white had faded and turned gray, and some animals had been chewing on it…

But it was his sneaker… the one he lost that night.

He clenched the shoe tightly, before placing it back exactly where he found it. It belonged there…

He used the tree for support as he climbed to his feet, and continued forward. The ravine was exactly where it had been before, but this time he was expecting it. He approached it, but the rain had swelled the stream, and he no longer had to worry about descending into it. With a sigh or relief, Dave trailed along the side of the ravine, until he saw a spot he could cross.

The party-spot was littered with beer cans and remnants of the collage-students bush parties. The spot for the bonfire was slowly being washed away by the rain.

As Dave walked to the side of the hill, a flash of lightning crossed the sky, and it started to rain harder. The water broke through the trees above him, and Dave closed his eyes as a shower of cold water splashed over his face.

He was shivering…and was suddenly very tired. All he wanted to do was sleep…

He slowly climbed down the hill, and stood at the spot, where all those years ago… Dave found that boy… left for dead.

With a tired sigh, he laid down right where the boy had been tossed. He laid on his back, looking up at the tree cover, and letting the stray raindrops hit his face.

He had come so far…

As he lay there, he suddenly realized… he did not want to die.

Not after finally finding his family….

Not after he finally quit the drugs and the alcohol…

Not after he had fought so hard to survive…

He did not want to die.

With no one around to watch him, he finally let himself break down. He finally let the tears come.

Enough was enough. No matter how badly he wanted to live…he was suffering and he came here to die. That was his whole purpose in returning to Texas. He closed his eyes.

It was finally time to let the pain stop.

He was hopefully going to go join Bro…

Maybe Bro would forgive him for everything he had done in his life?

Probably not.

He sighed.

Maybe Jade would forgive him for not going to John's wedding? Maybe Rose would forgive him for everything…

He closed his eyes. He could see himself as his Dream Self, laying on top of Jade, and saying his farewells.

He knew that in a few moments, he would be nothing more then a memory. It was really strange… saying goodbye to himself…

A farewell at the end…

He really did not have much to say to himself, but for some reason, he felt peace.

Finally, a moment of peace for once in his life.

Everything he did was for survival. He did it because he had no other choice… and things got out of hand. People make mistakes… he had several chances to right his wrongs, but he turned them all down out of stubbornness…

And he was suddenly ok with that.

This was fine.

To seek forgiveness… one must first ask forgiveness from themselves…

…I forgive you…

He closed his eyes, and let out a long, shallow breath.

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><p>EVERYONE: Epilogue<p> 


	42. EVERYONE: Epilogue

WARNING: LONG ASS CHAPTER - this chapter is actually over 10 pages, so yeah... sorry for the long chapter :o

Its the multiple views, that's why. Too short to be by themselves, so they are all apart.

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><p>EVERYONE: Epilogue<p>

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><p>... ... ...<p>

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><p>JAKE: Find Jade<p>

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><p>"Jade? Jade are you in here?" Jake said, opening door after door in the mansion.<p>

He frowned. Where was she? He had come to check on her in the morning, because he was worried… but she was not in her room. Bec wandered around the house with his head down, and whining, he seemed to want to lead Jake to the Guest Wing of the Mansion.

Jake sighed as he opened up the last door in the hall. He was going to be late for work… at least Dirk was helping him to find her. He was checking the floor above them. With a sigh, he flicked on the light.

"Jade?"

His breath got caught in his throat. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw a figure huddled in the guest bed. He walked over to it, and pulled the blanket back.

"Jade? Wake up Jade. What are you doing way down here?" He asked, shaking her gently.

Bec whined beside him. He jumped up and placed his two front paws on the bed, moving over to nuzzle her face.

"Jade?" Jake said, shaking her a little harder, "Jade wake up… your starting to worry me…"

Her arm fell out from under the blanket, and an empty bottle of Ambien fell onto the floor. Jake's eyes fell on it, and back to Jade as the realization settled in.

"JADE!" He screamed, "Jade, wake up. Come on Jade!"

He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up into a sitting position, "Jade come on… wake up! Please wake up! JADE!" He was shaking her, trying to wake her up, he watched her head roll to the side, her eyes closed, and a peaceful look frozen on her face.

"JADE!" He gasped, shaking her again.

"JAKE!"

Someone grabbed him by the shoulders, and wrenched him away from her. Jake fell backwards as Dirk stepped forward, gently pulling Jade out from the blankets and onto his lap.

"What's wrong with her?" Jake cried, still sitting on the ground from where Dirk pushed him. He suddenly noticed there were tears going down his cheeks, "Why won't she wake up?"

Dirk's eyes trailed to the bottle of Ambien on the floor.

"Oh god… you don't think she… she couldn't." Jake cried, "No Dirk! Tell me this isn't happening…"

"We need to get her to the hospital." Dirk said stiffly. His tone was flat, and Jake could tell he was fighting to keep himself calm.

Jake on the other hand, openly panicked. He instantly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, he ran a hand through his hair as he dialled 9-1-1.

... ... ...

* * *

><p>DIRK: Remember<p>

* * *

><p>For the first time in nearly ten years, Dirk was sitting in the hospital, waiting for the doctor to come out with news about his 'kid'.<p>

The last time he was in this situation, was when Dave was alive… the time he was in the hospital after that fight with that Karkat kid.

Damn. That felt like an entire different lifetime now.

He sighed deeply, and squeezed Jake's shoulders. Jake was sitting there, holding Dove in his lap, his eyes red from crying. Dirk was trying as hard as he could to be brave for them - though he was extremely grateful for the shades covering his eyes…

"Have you called John yet?" He finally said,

Jake froze up, he looked up at Dirk with those watery blood-shot eyes of his, "N-no! Oh gosh… I should."

"I can call him for you if you like?" Dirk asked,

"N-No… its something I should do." Jake whispered,

"I helped take care of them too." Dirk stated,

"I know." Jake muttered, "I'm sorry Dirk. I know you love them just as much as I do."

Dirk nodded.

When did he become so soft? Was it the new domesticated life? The rich lifestyle? Or the fact he was aging? He did not know… all he knew was that he had grown soft. Soft for Jake, soft for those kids…

He wished he was this way with Dave…

Maybe things would not have turned out so bad then?

Jake leaned his head against Dirk's shoulders, "Why did she do it?"

"I think it has to do with those dreams." Dirk said truthfully, "She's been sleeping a lot lately… taking sleeping pills in order to dream would explain it."

"Oh god." Jake cried, "We should have been watching her more! We should have made sure she was taking her medication!"

"Yeah." Dirk sighed, leaning his head on top of Jake's, "But what is done is done, we can't dwell on it. We don't even know what wrong with her yet. Let's wait until the doctor tells us, before we jump to conclusions."

Jake nodded, "O-Ok."

The door opened up, "Mr. Strider?"

Dirk's attention was instantly snapped to the door to the Emergency room. He held his breath as a Nurse clenched a clipboard. She beckoned them into the room, and Dirk let Jake stand up first, opening his arms for his lover to pass the baby over to him.

Jake nodded a thanks to Dirk, and handed him the baby. Dove gurgled as she settled herself into Dirk's arm. She was still small enough that Dirk could cradle her in one arm without any problems. Her baby short blond hair curled around his arm, tickling it a bit, but it was easy to ignore. This was the second time he had raised a baby after all. Though she was definitely… more loud then Dave had been. And the moment those hazel eyes of hers left either Jake or himself, she would automatically start to cry…clingy was the only word he could think of…ok, Dave had been the same way. Dave also cried every time Dirk put him down… not only that, Dave would actually CLING to him. Some days he swore he'd need a crowbar to get the baby to let go of him. At least Dove let go, and then cried after, and not just hung on for dear life.

He was so preoccupied looking down at the baby, he did not notice they were slowing down. He reached out and grabbed Jake's hand with his free arm, and gave it an affectionate squeeze. Jake looked up at him and gave him a completely phoney, but thankful smile.

"How is she? What happened to her?" Jake asked,

"Let's go into the room before we start on that." The Doctor said gravely.

Shit. Dirk did not like the way he said that.

The Doctor opened the door, and led them into the room. He heard Jake gasp beside him, and he immediately ran over to where a single bed was stationed.

Jade lay on the bed, her eyes closed and her body hooked up to several machines.

One of her arms rested outside of the blanket she was under, several wires sticking out of it. A respirator was placed over her mouth, pumping air in and out of her lungs.

"You got her here just before her lungs gave out, unfortunately though, it was not early enough." He stated,

"Lungs gave out?" Jake gasped, "What's happening to her?"

The doctor gestured to some chairs stationed next to the bed.

"We just got the blood tests back. We found toxic levels of Zolpidem in her system." The doctor stated,

"What is Sol-fi-dem?" Jake said softly,

"Zolpidem is a sleep aid, commonly known as Ambien." He stated,

"Are you saying she overdosed on sleeping pills?" Dirk said, his tone firm.

"Yes." He nodded,

"When did this happen?" Dirk asked,

"Sometime during the night." The Doctor responded.

"But she's going to be ok? Right?" Jake asked, he was shaking all over.

Dirk frowned. He had seen Dave overdose before, and he had taken him to the hospital once or twice because of it. Jade would be fine… she had to be.

He swallowed, fighting to keep a stoic expression. Hearing this was like déjà vu. He could vividly remember sitting here, letting the doctor tell him about Dave…

She would be fine. Dave was fine… she will be fine…

"Unfortunately…" The doctor said after a short pause, "I am sorry to say, that the overdose caused her to have a major stroke."

Fuck… no.

"A…stroke…" Jake repeated quietly.

"Yes." He nodded, "The stroke has left her… well, to use layman's terms… the stroke left her brain-dead."

"Brain dead?" Dirk shouted. Jake reached over and placed a hand on his lap.

Dirk could feel all the energy drain out of his body. No… he had not just heard that… he was lying.

"W-what do you mean?" Jake asked, his voice cracking,

"As of right now, she is surviving solely on these life-saving equipment… the machines are living fore her, pumping air into her lungs and so forth." He explained,

"But she'll get better… won't she?" Jake whispered,

"Unfortunately… that is unknown at this present time." He explained, "She shows no brain activity whatsoever. She did not respond to any reaction testing, or pain testing."

"Just because there is no brain activity now… doesn't mean she'd dead." Dirk pointed out, "Does this mean she is in a coma?"

"Yes." He nodded, "And I highly doubt she will ever come out of it. And if she does, she will most definitely come out of it in a vegetative state."

He was saying Jade was a vegetable…

Innocent Jade… who never did a single thing to hurt anyone… was a vegetable…

"Bull-shit." Dirk whispered.

"I am so sorry for your loss." The Doctor nodded, "But its up to you what to do. There is a slim chance she may wake up…"

"But she'll be a god-damn brain-dead vegetable?" Dirk heard the venom in his own voice.

He did not want to believe this…

Jade had always been so sweet…

Why had this happened?

First Dave abused drugs… and now Jade? Was it his fault? Was he a bad 'father' or something? He felt Dove kick in his arms, and she let out a soft cry, obviously not happy with her parents moods.

What about her? Would she grow up only to end up like them? Maybe he was never meant to be a father after all…

"Dirk." Jake said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Fuck." Was all he could say.

"Its up to you, how you proceed." The Doctor instructed,

"Proceed with what?" Jake asked, his hand gripping Dirk's leg tighter,

"Whether or not you want to take her off life support, or keep her on." He finished.

Pull the plug… the Doctor was saying they should pull the plug…

Suddenly, Dirk forgot how to breathe. He forgot how to see, think, move… everything just disappeared.

He wants to pull the plug on sweet, innocent little Jade.

"Can we… have some more time?" Jake asked,

"Take as much as you need." The Doctor nodded, "There is no rush, you can wait and see if there is a chance she will wake up if you want as well."

But would she want to live her life as a veggie? No. She did not deserve that.

Dirk watched Jake cover his mouth with his hand, and nod slowly. The Doctor nodded back, and took his leave. The moment he was out of the room, Jake stood up and walked over to Jade's bedside, "Jade… its Uncle Jake… can you hear me?"

There was no reaction.

"I'm so sorry Jade." Jake whispered.

Dirk reached over and put a hand on his shoulder, and Jake turned to look at him.

"Its not your fault." Dirk stated,

"Yes it is… I've been so preoccupied with the wedding, and work, and the new baby…" Jake cried, "I should have paid more attention to her… made sure she was taking her medication… I just thought…"

"Thought she was an adult and could take after herself." Dirk finished, "Yeah. I thought the same."

"I kept forgetting she's schizophrenic… she just never showed it." Jake cried, wrapping his arms around Dirk.

Dove let out a soft cooing noise when she was cuddled between the two of them, and the two parents broke apart to look at her. She cooed again and reached down to grab her foot.

Jake sighed and patted her on the head, "I think its time we called John…"

... ... ...

* * *

><p>JOHN: Get a phone call<p>

* * *

><p>John was bored.<p>

Not the typical 'there is nothing on tv' kind of bored, but actually bored-bored. After spending hours looking for that man from the café, he gave up and went back home. He gave the manager of the café his hotel and room number so if the man came back for his cane, he can come get it, and brought Vriska her treat.

That was last night.

Today, Vriska was with her family and friends, picking out a wedding dress, and John was not allowed to come. He had instead spend the day searching the streets for 'Dave'.

He stopped by a fast food joint, and bought himself something to take back to the hotel - since Vriska said she was spending the night at her parents house.

He sighed as he finally sank down on the couch in the hotel. He contemplated calling Jade, like he promised to do. It was nearly four o'clock here… which meant it had to be around ten for them. Jade should be just getting up… But then again, he had woken her up late…

He wondered briefly about going out to look for Dave again. But knew he would not find him… so instead he flicked on the television and thought about what his life would be like from now on.

He had to drop out of school to get a full time job… since he would soon have another mouth to feed. He thought about the baby. How cool would it be to be a father? The thought made him feel warm inside. At least they had finally settled on a name for it. Much to both of their delights.

If the baby was a girl… they were going to name it Casey. That was a hands down yes. Since it was the movie Con Air that brought them together anyway. And if it was a boy…

_RING!_

John jumped as his phone started to ring in his pocket. With a sigh, he reached down for it.

"Hello?" He asked,

"John? Its Uncle Jake. Do you have a moment?"

Uh oh. The tone of Jake's voice scared him. He sounded as if he had been crying… or was about to.

"Of course! What's up?" John asked, pushing aside his food.

"Its about Jade."

Shit. Why did the way he say that send a shiver of worry up his spine?

"She's in the hospital." Jake continued,"That's impossible!" John gasped, "I just talked to her! What happened?"

"She overdosed on sleeping-pills." Jake cried, "Its left her brain-dead and in a coma… the Doctor said she will never wake up."

"_No reason. But you better get to sleep Jade… it's late." _

"_But what about Dave?"_

"_Talk to him in the Dream World."_

"_You really don't believe me… do you." _

"_Yes… I do. Go to sleep, I have… stuff to take care of here. Thank you for telling me though." _

By stuff… he meant chase after the man that may or may not have actually been Dave…

But…

"_Talk to him in the Dream World."_

John felt his insides clench. He had told her to go to the Dream World… and now…

She did.

He told her to go… and now she was in a coma.

He had never felt worse in his entire life.

"I'm coming over." John whispered,

"From Houston?" Jake asked, "But what about your wedding?"

"It can be postponed. I'll call you back… I have to call Vriska." John muttered, "Talk to you in a bit."

"Yes, call me back as soon as you finish talking to Vriska." Jake begged,

"I will." John replied,

"I love you, John." Jake broke down on the line, and John felt his heart clench.

"Love you too, Uncle Jake." John felt his own voice crack as he said that.

He hung up the phone, and immediately called Vriska. She said she'll be back right away, and thankfully, she was. The moment she stepped into the hotel room, John was on her. He threw his arms around her, and hugged her close, crying deeply into her shoulder. She patted him on the back.

"It'll be ok, John." Vriska replied, "They said she wasn't dead… just in a coma…"

"Brain-dead… dead… what's the difference?" John cried.

She hugged him tighter, "We can postpone the wedding…"

"Thank you." John cried, "I'm going to book us the next flight over to London."

She nodded.

… … …

It turned out, the next flight wasn't until tomorrow. So John and Vriska would have to stay one more night in that hotel. John was panicking by this point. All he wanted to do was get home and check on his sister…

Vriska at least was unnaturally cuddly with him. She snuggled up to him on the couch. John wrapped his arms around her as they watched tv.

Eventually, the news came on, but Vriska had fallen asleep, and John did not want to move, encase he woke her up, so he just sat there and watched the news.

"_A shocking discovery happened this afternoon, when some high school kids playing in the ravine found a corpse." _The female newscaster reported, _"The corpse had no identification on it, and is believed to be a corpse of a homeless man."_

"_A young one at that. Poor kid." _Another news reporter said, _"He was found hidden down beneath an old hangout, and the way his body was laid out, made it clear that there was no foul play involved. Just by looking at the man, they were able to determine death by natural causes. An autopsy later revealed that the man died from a joint effect of liver and kidney failure. No one seems to know where this man came from, or who he is."_

"_The homeless do have a way with travel." _The first reporter said, _"Police have granted us permission to show you a picture of the deceased with hope that someone may be able to identify him."_

_J_ohn's arm tightened around her as a picture flashed in front of the screen.

It was the man he was talking to in the café… the man who he tried to help…

Except the corpse was not wearing any shades. Unfortunately the eyes were closed, but just looking at the face shape, and remembering old photos that Dirk had laying around his apartment… automatically made John think of Dave.

John's jaw trembled as he saw the picture of Dave on the news. He swallowed hard, and felt a tear slide down his cheek.

Vriska shifted, waking up as John moved. She looked up at him, "John? Is something wrong?"

"Vriska…" John whispered, "Do you believe in alternate universes?"

"I don't know? Why?" She asked,

"Because… if they exist," He cried, "I wish there is one where Dave and I could be friends."

"Dave?" Vriska asked,

"And… Vriska…" John's jaw was shaking as he talked, and tears now freely flowed down his face.

He turned and looked down at her, their noses nearly touching.

"If the baby is a boy…" John asked, "Can we name him Dave?"

"Sure." She smiled reaching up to kiss him, as she rubbed her stomach.

... ... ...

* * *

><p>ROSE: Pay your respects<p>

* * *

><p>The summer was ending, and the trees were just starting to change colour. The first of the leaves were just about to fall…<p>

It reminded Rose of the day she took Dave out for a walk… the day she asked him where he wanted his grave. She walked out down the same path she led him, her head held high, but fighting against the emotions brewing within her.

She started down the slope to her own private graveyard, where three graves rested, one clearly newer then the others. Fresh flowers were placed on the grave, and a single pair of aviator sunglasses were placed on a neatly folded orange and red scarf in front of it, resting against the tombstone.

She walked up to it, and cleaned it off, the same way she had cleaned the others when she came down with Dave.

She smiled as she read the inscription:

...

Here Lies

DAVE STRIDER

1995 - 2016

Though We only Knew

You A Short Time,

You Will Forever Live On

In Our Memories

R.I.P

My Dear Brother

...

Even though Dave said he wanted his grave in Texas, there appeared to be one for him there already, and no one had the heart to tell all his old loved ones that no, they had been crying to the body of a stranger this whole time, and their old friend actually just passed away…

So Rose decided to make a tombstone for the real Dave. She put it in with the rest of her family… so Dave now had the best of both worlds. He had a tombstone with his birth family, and a tombstone with his adoptive family…

It had been three weeks since he had walked out of the hotel room. Rose and Kanaya had stayed in the there until the news reported his body found. And just as she had said while she was drunk… just like a cat… he found somewhere private to die alone…

…Alone and on the street…

After seeing Dave's mugshot on the news, much to Kanaya's pleasure, Rose swore off drinking.

The moment they got back to her house, Rose and Kanaya went through the entire home, and threw out every single bottle of alcohol in the place. After seeing how much substance abuse hurts not just the person abusing it, but everyone around them, she could not bear to drink anymore.

She did not want to end up like the Lalondes before her.

After Dave died, it left a huge gap in Rose's life. She no longer had anyone to take care of, and after a few weeks of feeling useless, she wondered if depression was starting to settle in.

She was seriously contemplating adopting a child. She even talked to Kanaya about it, and Kanaya thought it was a good idea. A child would give Rose a much needed distraction… someone she could take care of, and fill the void Dave left behind… a void Rose did not even know existed until he came into her life.

"What do you think, 'Bro'?" She said, "Do you think I would be a capable mother?"

She paused, thinking about how much her mother used to drink when she was a child, and was happy now that she quit drinking. There is no way she would put a child through that.

The wind started to pick up, and she chose to think of it as a blessing. Somewhere up there, Dave was telling her that she would be a good mother. She smiled and nodded at the grave.

"And you would have made a wonderful uncle." She whispered, before getting up, and walking back towards the house.

... ... ...

* * *

><p>JAKE: Decide<p>

* * *

><p>Jake's entire family stood beside Jade's bedside.<p>

It had been four weeks.

Four weeks that Jade had been a coma.

The Doctor stood on the other side of the bed from where they all stood. Jake sat in a chair, holding Jade's cold hand tightly, while Dirk stood behind him. Vriska had stayed home with the baby. This was nothing he wanted Dove to see. John sat beside him, tears streaming down from his big blue eyes.

Jake wished he could comfort him, but he was in no better condition.

"Jade has been in a coma for four weeks now." The Doctor explained, "She has shown absolutely no sign of recovery."

No one said anything. John looked down at his hands, and Dirk squeezed Jake's shoulders.

"Have you come to a decision on what you want to do?"

Jake felt his eyes water up again, and he slowly nodded, squeezing Jade's hand tighter. Damn… he wished she would suddenly show some sign of life… anything… but she did not react at all to his touch…

His niece's brain was dead. She was no longer there… it was just her body, being kept alive by machines…

"W-we're going to pull the plug." Jake whispered.

"At this point, that is a wise choice." The Doctor nodded,

"We can't bare to see her suffer like this!" John cried.

The Doctor nodded, "I will give you all a moment to say your farewells."

He stepped back, walking to the far side of the room.

"Jade." John whispered, moving his chair closer to the bed, and stroking her hair, "I'll miss you Jade… God I feel so guilty! This is all my fault… will you ever forgive me?"

"Its not your fault, John." Dirk frowned,

"I know… but… I told her I believed her… and that she should go to sleep…" John cried,

"She would have done if whether or not you said that." Dirk pointed out.

"I know…" John whispered. He turned back to Jade, "I love you sis… if you can hear me…say hi to Mom and Dad for me… I bet Dad is up there right now, baking you a cake to greet you with…"

"Yeah. I bet he is." Jake nodded, "You say hi to my brother for me too, ok Jade? And I am so, so sorry. I love you Jade. You are like a daughter to me."

"And say hi to Dave while your at it." Dirk whispered, "I know the two of you will get along great…"

Jake nodded.

"I think they already do." John smiled,

"You actually believe her with the Dream World?" Jake asked,

"Well… I want to." John blushed, "I mean… I know it sounds silly… but… if she was right… then… then Jade and Dave are together in the Dream World right now."

"Sure." Dirk nodded.

Jake leaned forward in the chair, stroking the back of Jade's hand, "That's actually… a nice thought."

He cleared his throat, "Good night Jade, I hope you dream well."

"Goodnight." Dirk nodded.

Jake caught the tone in Dirk's voice, and turned around. The ever stoic Strider was actually getting choked up. The last time Jake saw Dirk teary-eyed was when Dave died. He reached up with his free hand and grabbed Dirk's. Dirk grabbed his hand, clinging onto it tightly.

"B-bye sis… I hope you have sweet dreams." John cried.

"Are you ready now?" The Doctor asked.

Jake sighed and held Jade's hand tightly. Dirk walked over to the other side of the bed, and held onto her other hand. John did not move, he just sat there, silently stroking his sister's face.

The Doctor reached up and flipped the power switch on the machine, and Jake let out a loud sob as he heard the machine power down. His entire body screamed at the doctor to turn it back on… but he knew that would do no good.

"G-good night Jade." He cried, "We love you so much."

Everyone just sat there for several minutes, just watching Jade's still body. Without the machine pumping air into her lungs, her chest was still. There was absolutely no response.

She really was only living by machine.

Jake finally tore his eyes away from her, to look at her heart-rate monitor… and watched sadly as it slowed down, until a loud continuous beep filled the silence in the room.

* * *

><p>JADE: Dream<p>

* * *

><p>Note to self… do not write Sadstuck while listening to the Titanic OST, just saying…<p>

One more chapter after this one, and you'll all like the next chapter. After that, there will be a bonus one closing everything off.

Thank you for everyone who stuck around with me while I worked on this, and a big thank you to everyone who commented, especially those who commented on nearly all my chapters. You guys gave me the motivation I needed to actually get this far.

You are all awesome, and sorry if I made anyone sad with this. I hope it was sadstuck enough for everyone?

Oh, and if you want a say in what kind of fanfic I write next, please visit my profile and vote on the poll, or PM me your suggestions. I will be adding some suggestions to the list today.


	43. JADE: Dream

So, how many people were not expecting that last chapter?

* * *

><p>JADE: Dream<p>

* * *

><p>"Hello?" Jade asked, leaning over a boy, huddled in his room, curled up on the bed and looking afraid.<p>

She smiled and leaned down in front of him, her long black hair bouncing off her shoulders, "The Prophets told me to find you! And I am so glad I listened!"

The boy looked up at her with large, frightened eyes, before turning away, burying his face in the pillow.

She giggled, "My name is Jade! And your Dave, aren't you?"

The boy did not respond.

She frowned, and reached out to touch him, but be flinched away.

"Its ok." Jade smiled, "I won't hurt you!"

He peeked up at her, and she giggled again.

Jade flashed him the most friendly, happy smile she could, "Let's be friends, ok?"

… … …

Jade opened her eyes. She was laying on a large bed made out of stone, gold and purple flowers planted all around her. She sat up, and looked around. A crowd of Prospit and Derse citizens surrounded her, all putting flowers down around her.

She reached out and picked one up, it smelt so beautiful…

The citizens all bowed their heads as she stood up off the bed, and cleared a path going forward.

She smiled at them and started down it, feeling like Rose from the movie Titanic. She walked through the streets she had travelled for so long… heading towards the Prospit Castle, where she shared that dance with Dave.

… … …

"How do you know who I am?" Dave asked, looking at her as he sat on his bed,

Jade giggled, "Because! You saved my brother!"

"That kid I saved was your brother?" Dave asked,

"Yes!" Jade nodded, "Thank you! I owe you a lot!"

"Don't mention it." Dave mumbled, looking away from her.

"You know… right now, I'm staying at your house! My brother and I are sleeping in your room!"

"What? Why?" Dave asked,

"Because your 'Bro' is thanking us for paying for his hospital stay." She smiled,

"Bullshit." Dave grumbled, "I saw my Bro splattered on the road like a fly on a windshield."

"But he survived!" Jade sang, "He's alive and you can come home!"

Dave blushed and grabbed his pillow, burying his face into it, "I can't…"

"Why not?" Jade asked,

"Because… I'm dirty." He muttered.

… … …

As she walked through towards the castle, she saw those golden lights floating up from herself as well. She looked over and saw her reflection in one of the golden-shiny statues. Her eyes were just as blank as Dave's was, when she went to see him. She saw herself semi-transparent as well…

She looked down at her see-through hands, and then back up at the castle, before two Prospit guards opened the doors for her, and she entered.

Familiar faces rested all around her, and she smiled.

Besides the citizens of both Prospit and Derse, the King and Queen of both the Kingdoms were also stationed at either side of the courtyard, along with Dad, Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Dirk's parents, and Dirk's Bro, and a beautiful blond haired woman that Jade did not recognize, but she was looking at Dave with a sad smile.

Beautiful music played as she entered. A tune that was both sweet, and yet sat at the same time. Her yellow nightdress seemed to change underneath her to a beautiful golden ball gown as she entered the courtyard, and she smiled, picking up the ends as she walked. Her long black hair sweeping back under a gold tiara.

Standing at the far end of the courtyard was a man. His back was turned to her, but he was dressed in a beautiful purple cape. He slowly turned around, and Jade smiled as she slowly walked towards Dave. Dave was dressed like a gallant purple knight, and never looked more comfortable. He slowly started walking towards her, keeping the same pace she did.

He wore his old Aviator sunglasses, though they looked so out of place with the rest of the outfit.

They walked until they were face to face, and Jade was happy to see how healthy he looked. His skin was nicely tanned, and he looked younger, his muscles toned. She smiled at him, happier then she had ever felt before.

He held his hand out towards her, the golden lights floating up from himself as well. Jade felt a wave of fear pass over her as she remembered how he could not touch her before, but when she placed her hand in his, she could feel him…

…she could feel the roughness of his skin under her palm… and it was warm. Tears formed in her eyes as he reached forward and pulled her in close to him, and the music sped up a bit, still bittersweet, but as the Citizens of Prospit and Derse started to chime in, like a choir, she could not help but fall in love with the song.

"Care for one last dance?" Dave asked, his face as stoic as ever, but Jade could see the corners of his ears going red.

She giggled, "It would be my pleasure."

He spun her around, sending the golden lights flying up into the air. She looked at him with worry. He was just as transparent as she was…

"What's going on?" Jade asked,

"Your dying." Dave replied,

"W-what!" Jade gasped, "But that doesn't make sense? How?"

"You said so yourself," He said as he spun her around, lilting her back over his arm until one of her legs left the ground, "You never want to wake up. You want to stay here with me forever."

The world around her started to break apart with the same golden lights, but she barely noticed it, she only paid attention to Dave.

"So, are you my spirit guide?" She giggled,

"I could be." He said, "Here, let me guide you to this."

He spun her around again until she was standing up, and then picked her up bridal-style, one arm under her legs, and one supporting her back, before he bent down and kissed her again.

Unlike last time, Jade felt Dave's lips touch her own, and it made all the lights that much brighter.

The 'imaginary world' around her started to disappear in the lights, but she did not break away, instead, she wrapped her arms around Dave's neck, and deepened the kiss.

The music in the background died away with the world, leaving nothing but a slow and steady beeping noise, that eventually leveled out to one long continuous beep, as everything brightened to white, her mouth still interlocked with Dave's, and her body still in his arms, before everything went black.

* * *

><p>As I stated before, thank you so much to everyone who read this story, who subscribed to it, who favourited, who commentedreviewed it. It meant a lot to me! It really cheered me up every day when I looked at my email, and all I saw was walls upon walls of FF alerts!

So, this was my first attempt at writing something so... dark. Was it Sadstuck enough? Did I jerk anyone's tears?

After I write the Bonus, I will work on Broken Wings for a bit, and leave the poll open for about a week. After a week or so, I will check it, and consider using the top option as my next fanfic, please vote on the poll! If there is nothing on the poll that you want to see, please PM me what kind of story you want me to write :)

I got a hold of my technician, and hopefully, my laptop will be repaired soon. I will reward myself when I get it back, by drawing at least 5 comic pages, and finish at least 2 digital art pieces XD

I will add an option for a fanfic about Dove and Casey or something to the poll, not that the story is over... that will make more sense if and when I get the bonus done :P


	44. BONUS: 13 Years Later

BONUS: 13 Years Later

* * *

><p>- - tackyGroove [TG] began pestering gambleTricks [GT] at 11:26 - -<p>

TG: hey

TG: what kind of heavy junk you pull yesterday?

GT: :B Wouldn't you just like to know :D

TG: i would

TG: thats y i asked u chump

GT: Maybe I'll tell you, but then maybe I'll ask for you to not type like your from the seventies. :B

TG: what

TG: u jellin

TG: thats all

TG: u jellin so bad your turnin green in the face egbert

GT: Why is it every time I talk to you, I end up with a wall of red text?

TG: because red is dope

TG: blue is so

TG: egberty

GT: Its 'dope' alright :B

TG: u gunna tell me what ringin loot u got or what

GT: Nope! Like I said, you're going to have to wait until we go to the island :D

TG: its another magic set

TG: i know its another magic set

TG: its always a magic set

GT: It is totally not a magic set! D:

TG: sure egbert

TG: i bet 10 cool points that it is a magic set

TG: this is 10 hole CP egbert

TG: putting it on the line for you

TG: rnt i a great

GT: I got a book ok! Its not a magic set. I don't even know what a magic set is! Is that some sort of set of items you use to perform magic or something?

TG: chillax

TG: but seriously

TG: ol man egbert cant splerge on more then a bogue book

TG: lame

GT: OMG D: Ok, your right. It's a magic book… about new card tricks. Ok?

TG: did it come with anything

GT: A deck of cards. These cards are really cool! They have Colonel Sassacre's logo, right on the back of the cards! These are real magic cards!

TG: if it came with something

TG: then its a magic set

TG: even if its just cards.

TG: magic the gathering kind of magic

TG: or everyday

TG: completely fake magic

GT: Magic isn't fake!

TG: lame

TG: as your older cousin

TG: its my duty to make you cool

TG: strider cool

TG: got that

TG: and magic aint cool

TG: the beat is tho

TG: tunes are tubular

TG: can u dig it

TG: r u taking notes?

TG: jegus egbert

TG: i will quiz u on this next week

"Casey? Casey are you busy?"

A young girl jumped. She whirled around in her computer chair, sending her shaggy black hair flying into her face, tangling with her glasses, as the door opened, and a middle aged man entered, holding a briefcase.

"Uh, no, Dad." Casey smiled, "Just talking to Dove."

"Oh? How is she?"

"Apparently she's 'tubular'." Casey smirked,

Dad laughed, "Well can you ask her if Uncle Jake is home? I need to call him, you know, now that we know the due date for your new baby brother, we know when we can go for that family vacation at Uncle Jake's island."

"We were just talking about that actually." Casey smiled,

"Oh good." Dad nodded, "And remember, Cas! Read that book I got you, you've got to prank those Striders good. Show em a piece of their own business!"

Casey grinned, "Yes! Dove won't know what hit her!"

"That's my girl!" Dad laughed.

Casey turned back to the monitor… as she was expecting, there was already a wall of red text…

Even though Dove was still typing, Casey decided to interrupt her.

GT: Dad wants to know if Uncle Jake is home

TG: oh now you talk to me

TG: i thought we were pals eggy

TG: but i guess wrong

TG: bffs dont ignore each other

TG: even to talk to their folks

GT: OH MY GOD DOVE! Shush up for one minute

TG: be still eggy

TG: big sissy is giving u a lecture

TG: ur still taking notes

TG: u better be

TG: still gunna quiz ya

GT: Is your Dad home or not?

TG: cha

GT: Thank you. Now if you don't mind, I need to catch up on my reading. Got to have a lot of cool card tricks learned before we all meet up at the island.

TG: if life were a game

TG: and we had to choose a weapon

TG: y do i have the feeling ur weapon would be cards

GT: Because cards are awesome!

TG: nope

TG: cards are lame

TG: magic is lame

TG: ur lame

TG: end of story

TG: class dismissed

TG: get out before i thro a desk at you

TG: pop quiz tomorrow.

GT: ok ok!

TG: fail on the test

TG: that is 20CP taken off your cool ectoladder

GT: Awe! Come on Dove, it took me a long time to work up those points!

TG: nope

TG: but

TG: i will brb

TG: my puppet senses are tingling

TG: catch u on the flipside eggy!

- - tackyGroove [TG] ceased pestering gambleTricks [GT] at 12:03 - -

GT: Puppet senses? Geez Dove, you're so weird!

...

Sometimes… Casey wondered if that girl just likes to talk. She rolled her eyes and put her Pesterchum on idle, before walking downstairs.

"Dad!" She called, "Dove says Uncle Jake is home!"

"Thank you!" Dad called from his office.

Casey shrugged, and went back upstairs to go read her new book about Colonel Sassacre Approved 1001 New Card Tricks.

… … …

John heard Casey call down to him. He smiled and picked up the phone, dialling his uncle's number. It rang twice before Jake finally answered the phone.

"Hello, Jake here."

"Hey Uncle Jake." John smiled, leaning back in his chair.

"John!" Jake cheered, "So great to hear from you! How's the family?"

"Casey's doing good. Got spoiled for her birthday yesterday."

"So I heard."

"We found out Vriska's due date, and its June twelfth." John stated, "So we thought that we should give Vriska some time to recover from the birth, and give the baby some time to adjust, before we head to the island. That, and Casey and Dove will be on summer break soon, so why not go in the summer?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

There was a loud crash.

"What was that?" John asked,

"That would be Dirk and Dove." Jake sighed,

"Are they going at it again?" John asked,

"Yeah. Even though I keep telling Dirk that he's in his fifties now, and he's strifing against a thirteen year old…he's going to get himself hurt one of these days."

"Or Dove will beat him." John laughed,

"Oh I've warned him about that." Jake laughed, "Dove isn't stupid. Its been years since he's been able to sneak up on her. And its become a daily war in the house in the mornings. I remember a time when Dirk was not a morning person… now basically, whoever gets up first, gets the drop on the other."

"The drop?" John asked,

"If Dove gets up before Dirk… its usually Dirk and I that get pummelled by stuffed animals in the morning… if it's the other way around, its Dove getting pummelled by puppets… all in all… I feel trapped in a sea of plush."

John laughed, "Sounds noisy over there!"

"Oh it is. Usually, one of their failed plush-attacks will end up with them strifing." Jake laughed, "I always have my video camera ready for when that happens, because I told Dirk, the day Dove beats him in a strife, I want to be there to record it."

"It will happen." John laughed,

"Oh it will." Jake agreed, "He isn't getting any younger."

There was a pause before Jake said, "I think Dirk missed it though. He used to strife with Dave all the time…"

John nodded, forgetting he could not see him, "Its good for him."

"Yes." Jake laughed, "Though I think if she tells him that 'irony is lame' one more time, something will get broken."

"She's all about 'retro', right?" John asked,

"Always." Jake replied, "We updated Jade's grave, I'll bring pictures."

"That would be nice." John said.

… … …

Jake leaned back in his chair with a sigh, just thinking about the past.

So much had changed. He went from a single businessman, to married with three kids just-like-that. Though one had passed away, and one lived in the USA, it still didn't change the fact that he was getting old.

So was Dirk, but as he looked out the window and into the courtyard to see him locking swords with a thirteen year old… he could not tell.

The two whirled around, and Jake smiled when he saw Dove's face. She was beaming a large smile as she parried Dirk's attack. Her…bazaar haircut - one she said she based off a 2006 video game about Disney and Final Fantasy or something like that - whipped behind her, her bangs swirling over her shades.

While she was…an eccentric girl - she was at least moderately brought up. She did not like the taste of alcohol, and preferred orange juice to anything, and had to his knowledge, never done drugs. She even participated in a school event against them. Which he was happy about. He would he happy if those things never came into his life again.

She was a good girl. Loud, and hyper. But a good girl.

"How is Casey?" He asked.

"Casey is doing great!" John reported, "She got in a little trouble at school from some pranks, but she more then makes up for it with a straight A average."

"Sounds good." Jake smiled, adjusting the video camera to follow his husband and his daughter as the two of them strifed.

"We went down to Houston during spring break, to visit Vriska's parents." John said, "We cleaned up the Strider graves, and took pictures as well."

"Thank you! I've got to see them! Oh!" Jake gasped, leaning forward in his chair again, "That reminds me! We got a strange package in the mail the other day, addressed from someone claiming to be Dave's biological sister."

"Oh?" John asked.

"Yes, a card said she tracked us down using a P.I, in order to give us some items that she said used to belong to him." Jake reported,

"What items?" John asked,

"A pair of aviator sunglasses, an old-fashioned radio, and a long scarf." Jake listed off, "All of which, Dove stole the moment we opened them."

"Yeah. Thought as much." John laughed, "You probably got her on the 'old fashioned' part."

"Yup!" Jake laughed, "The shades caused a strife between Dirk and Dove though, when Dirk said the shades were 'Ironic' and she said that they were not, and that they were 'Retro'."

John let out a loud laugh on the other side of the phone, "That's awesome!"

"Well, sorry to let you go, John," Jake stated, "But it looks like they are slowing down now. I need to make sure I get the end of the strife recorded, encase Dove beats Dirk."

"If she does, send it to me." John laughed.

"I will." Jake grinned, "Good bye John."

"Bye Uncle Jake!"

He hung up the phone, and went outside to record his two favourite blondes.

… … …

Dove sighed as she flopped down in her computer chair, her tapered 'Namine-style' hair falling over one of her shoulders, her bangs dropping over the corners of her aviators.

Casey was still away, but there was Mr. Purple she could talk to…

- - tackyGroove [TG] began pestering tacticalTruncheon [TT] at 1:28 - -

TG: i just got my ass handed to me by my dad again

TT: Did you try the method I told you last time?

TG: nah

TG: man i forgot

TG: heat of the moment

TG: catch my drift

TT: The solution to your problem is uncomplicated. You just lack the intelligence to actually go through with the most straightforward of instructions.

TG: whoa man

TG: just whoa

TG: bogus

TG: lay off the thesorus

TT: Thesaurus

TG: wuteves

TG: anyway lalonde

TG: talk to egbert today

TT: If by 'egbert' you by chance indicate Casey Egbert, and by 'lalonde' you mean myself, then no. I have not. I have not articulated with Casey since her birthday yesterday.

TG: chillax man

TG: i keep forgetting i am talking to none other then rick lalonde master tactician

TG: all bow down before his mighty brain

TT: Indeed.

TG: that was sarcasm dude

TG: you are lame

TT: Now it is my turn to ask a question. Have you had a chance to talk to Vantas today?

TG: ventus

TG: no

TG: dude peaced out

TG: anyway

TG: i just wanted to saw thank you for sending that package

TG: ill let the king know i got his shades

TG: and he aint ever getting em back

TG: these retro babies r mine

TG: k

TG: looks like egbert is back online

TG: im going to tell her about the shades.

TG: ttyl

TT: Talk to you later, Strider.

- - tackyGroove [TG] ceased pestering tacticalTruncheon [TT] at 1:43 - -

- - tackyGroove [TG] began pestering gambleTricks [GT] at 1:44 - -

TG: hey

GT: You are so going to get it when we meet at the island :D

GT: This book is full of cool tricks!

TG: oh god

TG: no

TG: just no

TG: no tricks

TG: tricks are just as lame as magic

GT: Your lame!

TG: no

TG: im rad

TG: rad to the max

TG: awesome possum rad

GT: I get it. You are pretty awesome :D

TG: now ur learning

TG: guess what i got

GT: What?

TG: i got the kings old shades

TG: the one from back when he lived in our world

TG: boss aviators man

TG: total boo ya

GT: Oh god Dove… your not going on about the Dream World again, are you? You know that's not real.

TG: how do you know

TG: how would you possibly know since you wont let yourself go

GT: Because, a world that exists in our dreams is silly. There is no logic behind it…

TG: if mr brains believe in it y cant u

GT: Rick believes in the Dream World? I'm calling bull! Good try Strider, but you can't fool me that easily. You can't trick the Princess of Tricks, go back to listening to your disco, and leave the practical jokes to me.

TG: this aint a joke.

TG: gee

TG: usually gold dreamers are more easy to convince then u r

TG: ok

TG: if u dont believe me

TG: then do me a fav

GT: What?

TG: at least try

TG: try to believe.

TG: before you go to bed tonight

TG: think about the dream world

TG: think about it

TG: and pray to go there

TG: ur the princess of tricks right

TG: trick urself into believing

TG: trust me

TG: u will love it in the dream world

TG: u and i r both princesses there

TG: my Bro and ur aunt are the king and queen

TG: we could chill there

TG: u can meet lalonde for the first time

TG: and we can easily convince vantas to come to

GT: I don't think so. He's a stubborn old goat.

TG: u think he's bad

TG: try talking to his dad

TG: ol man vantas is even worse

TG: but anyway

TG: do me this one little fav

TG: and i promise u

TG: i will never bother u about it again

TG: promise me egbert

TG: promise me casey

TG: that tonight ull at least try to go to the dream world

GT: *DRAMATIC SIGH AND ROLLS HER EYES* Fine Dove, I promise you, tonight I will try and visit the Dream World.

TG: thank you

TG: you get those 20CP back

TG: plus an extra 10

TG: u have enough to scale up to the next level on ur cool ectoladder

TG: u have passed the lame rung

TG: and entered the less lame rung

TG: but

TG: ur boyfriend is now online

TG: so ill let u go talk to him

TG: and i will peace out

GT: *blushes* Rick is not my boyfriend!

TG: u r so madly crushing on lalonde

TG: i can tell

TG: but yeah

TG; if u make it to the dream world tonight

TG: ill talk to u then

TG: go talk to lalonde

TG: PEACE SISTA!

- - tackyGroove [TG] ceased pestering gambleTricks [GT] at 1:59 - -

Casey rolled her eyes, but could feel her face heating up, and knew she was blushing. Fine then! She will talk to Rick for awhile! But… only because he was a friend, and for no other reason besides that…

Time rolled by like it usually did, Mom got home shortly before dinner, and the three of them sat down and ate. Casey wondered what life would be like when she had a little brother?

Dove had been going on for years about visiting her 'Bro' in the Dream World, and Casey always ignored her. Maybe there was something wrong in Dove's head? She would not be surprised if in one of their strifes, Uncle Dirk accidentally damaged something in her head? Or maybe she has some medical problem that they don't know about because she was adopted?

But Rick was perfectly healthy… or so she could tell by talking with him. She liked Rick, he was always fun to talk to, and he always helped her on her homework. He was a lot more fun to talk to then that loud mouth Vantas, though she knew Dove and Vantas liked to spar all the time. There were times during memos where the two would start a heated debate over something silly…

Before Casey knew it, it was time for bed, and as her parents tucked her in and said their good-nights, she lay there wondering if the Dream World was even possible?

Casey knew about Dove's older brother, a guy who passed away before she was adopted into the family, and she knew about her aunt, a woman that had passed away before the was born as well. But the idea of them being dead, but still existing in the Dream World? That was silly. Dove was just messed in the head.

She loved her cousin, but Casey knew how eccentric she was.

There was no such thing as a 'Dream World'. There couldn't be…

…But… she did promise Dove that she would at least try.

Blushing, she snuggled in deeper into the covers. Ok… it couldn't be too hard right? Just lay here and pretend that when you fell asleep, you would wake up in a world of make believe… I mean, a real world that only existed in people's dreams…

She closed her eyes, and tried to picture what the Dream World was like. Dove told her it was a brilliant world of purple and gold, the two worlds having merged when Dove's Bro and Casey's Aunt became King and Queen.

She tried to imagine tall towers, streets laid out in gold and purple… strange chess-piece like men waiting for her to arrive…

It would be nice… to visit it actually.

"Please." She whispered, slipping into the warm embraces of sleep, "Let me go to the Dream World…"

* * *

><p>END<p>

* * *

><p>So, that was the bonus chapter, closing things off. Probably not needed, but I felt like writing it XD<p>

Dove is really fun to write XD I was throwing attributes from Dave and Jade into her character design, and the retro thing was based off a lesser character from my own comic. Casey was fun to write as well. I have the strongest urge to draw them now! And I probably will!

Thank you all, and I will probably write the next chapter of Broken Wings now - though first I am going to take a break and get something to eat.

If anyone here is also reading Broken Wings, I shall see you all soon! …Broken Wings chapters take a lot longer to write though, then Wrong's chapter were. Can't wait to see what I am going to write next!

I had a lot of fun writing this story… even though it was really depressive. And now that its over, I am sitting here like I do after beating a video game, or finishing a book… sitting here wondering, what now? XD

Fun Fact:

I spend most of this story writing it while suffering from Mono, and then later, a serious concussion, as well as suffering through two deaths.


End file.
